Sunday, December 13, 2009

KINDA EXCITED!!


I have been using Swagbucks as my primary search engine and limited online shopping experience and just yesterday I redeemed some of my "bucks" for 4 $5 Amazon.com Gift Card!!! I was so excited!!! I am saving my Amazon.com GC's for a Wii Fit Plus or a EA Active or Your Shape. I saved 20 Swagbucks redeeming them yesterday because there was a 5 Swagbuck discount per Gift Card!!! I am still pretty far off from getting my Wii Fit considering that the games are about a $100 plus S&H but I am $20 closer!!! So excited....if you are interested in getting some free gift cards/merchandise/pretty much anything..check it out!! My hope is that I can abuse this all next year and get the huge majority of next year's Christmas gifts for uber cheap or FREE!! Because who doesn't love...FREE???

Its a new dawn, its a new day



So I just started reading a new book that
Daddum's Pilot friend's wife (whew what a mouthful..) lent me and I just wanted to say its totally awesome. I am only about 50 pages into it and already I feel like it is shaking the dust off of my lackluster wifehood thus far for both the Lord and Erik. Recently alot of my views have changed in that I am learning that in order to be truly peaceful I need to REALLY give honor and glory to God each day in all things all I do. Well a huge part (if not all) of what I do is to be the homemaker of this house. And I LOVE IT. But it took me awhile, some women take and excel at it very naturally and it is with slight embarrassment that I say I was not one of those women. It took me over a year to just adapt to it but really it took YEARS to EXCEL (in some fashion or another) at it. I feel like I am in a better place now but I DO NOT want to become complacent in my role(s).

Now am I the homemaker with a spotless house, neatly dressed children, freshly bathed dog and dinner on the table with my size 4 or 6 apron and high heels on...pssshhh...yeah right....I wish...well no not really...I don't. But I AM the housewife with love in my heart and Godly passion for doing what I feel the Lord is calling me to do everyday all day. Inevitably there is some chore that I do not get to on a daily basis but thats sokay, I don't sweat it (as much...hey I am human right?). I am okay with it, its just laundry or dishes or dusting, whatevs...I will get to it. I want a bigger family, I need to make some changes to myself first, for mostly health reasons before our family expands but it will happen. I feel soo much more relief and motivation than ever before. I don't think that this book is 100% of the reason why I feel so enlightened but its very refreshing to be reading something and involving myself in something with a NEW like minded group of women. I think I am boarding this "train" later in life than I would have liked (I hate to feel like I am behind the power curve) but at the end of the day it was never my decision to make right?? I am where I am because this is where I am supposed to be...and I will continue to push forward.... pretty cool right?? Thanks Mama G!!!

Thursday, November 19, 2009

Because blogging is hard work....



He was sitting in my lap as I was blogging, and this was one of those days when he went nap-less so he was naturally a joy to interact with and all of a sudden I looked down and BOOM, he was out in that deep sleep...complete with the drool-y shirt and all. It was sooo cute, and I just had to snap a picture. See, little boys are such angels when they are sleeping....its only when they are awake that you question whether or not you are going to go bald before you are 30.. : )

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Reunited and it feeels soo good!!!






YAY to husbands coming home from boat detachments and being with the family again!! Daddum we missed you soo much!!! We are so glad that you are home!!!! Beeecccaauusseee "..reunited and it feels so good..." can you just hear the song now??

Monday, November 9, 2009

Why do we have bedrooms??

Here is Clyde in his new "bedroom"...hmm....maybe now Daddum and I can make that third bedroom into an office like we originally intended??




Toddler boys are their own species...and an enigma for the rest of us!!


Boys are beyond the range of anybody's sure understanding, at least when they are between the ages of 18 months and 90 years.
James Thurber

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Lives and how different they are..







I was talking to a good friend a few nights ago on yahoo messenger (yay Jenn!!) and naturally being the Chats McGee that I am I starting spouting off about being a military wife and SAHM and how different our lives can be from non-military wives and I got to thinking....we ARE different. Not bad different and not necessarily good different...just different. For example Daddum is gone for work right now and he will be back next week and I am not really bothered by it; am I going to miss him-sure, am I am going to dread getting Bonnie ready for school at oh dark thirty everyday for week-you bet, does the thought of his det being delayed a week for random Navy reasons make a frustrated-somewhat.... but I am glad that Daddum does what he does for us everyday...you bet your mama's good china I do.


Having been in the Navy for a few years I feel like I am blessed enough to truly understand exactly what the Navy needs from Daddum are at a moment's notice. I don't get as mad as some other wives I know about military obligations, I get it...my husband belongs to the Navy first and our family after. It doesn't make me upset, and Daddum does such an excellent job making non-Navy time extraordinary for all of us that it has never been an issue, but it takes work-alot of it and dedication and love and grace from God and from each other. And I can say without a doubt one hundred percent we CHERISH that time together.


Now I am not trying to sound like a tough, g-money wife because that's not it at all...I am a crybaby sissy just like the rest of them sometimes- I think its natural and inherent to want to cry when they leave even if it is only for a few days, weeks whatever. There is ALWAYS that thought in the back far recesses of my brain that something could happen. Its the nature of the job, just look at Fort Hood, USS Cole, etc...I could list all day. Does it ever get easier to be a military wife and handle all the random, incessant, annoying, heartbreaking responsibilities? No I don't think so, I think you just get used to it, and you accept the void that's there when they are gone and try to keep moving along and making them proud of you on your home front until they get back.


When Daddum was in Florida for a year by himself I used to think.....now if he were here right now would he be okay with me doing this, or would this be the best decision for our family in his eyes. Most times honestly back then I didn't care, I felt like I was in survival mode and I had to do what I had to do to get by..in hindsight that was not the right response (for me). I should have given more and strived to give 100% all the time, I don't get that time back-but I have learned from that experience...this is my one shot running this show-aim high. This is my new mantra and in conjunction with my new mantra I have drawn on my most recent life experiences-the passing of Robert and Greg. I love them both and miss them sooo much and I am lifted up by the idea of them looking down on my lil family and smiling. I want to do them justice by my family, our time together was so brief but wonderful. And they gave it all-all the time.


Life is soo short...I don't think we all realize it and the idea of not doing everything in our power to live our days to the fullest and enrich our lives and the lives of our children/spouses just does not sit well with me anymore. This realization has pushed me to new limits and allowed me to strive for more. This has made me a better Christian, mother, wife and friend. So if I accomplish nothing else in this life I am glad that I was able to see the writing on the wall. In the words of Bonnie in the throws of a tantrum "...my life is changing..." here's praying that I can roll (and EXCEL) with it!!!


The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.
Arthur C. Clarke

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Unexpected excellent surprises

Since I started couponing 6 months ago I have been exposed to several online outlets that allow you to try to win free products or prizes. One of these outlets is online contest/giveaways. Now for those of you that know me know that I am not an extremely lucky lady, I don't gamble, don't really enjoy card games like poker, and I never won much on those scratcher lottery tickets. But I enjoy playing the online contests and I am always looking to score free products for the house--and they range from things like candles, salsa, salad dressing, and the obvious DINERO; so I figure what the heck it can't hurt.

Well one of the contests that I go to fairly often is an online giveaway from Glade The Fragrance Collection Giveaway. I recently fell in love with these candles and reed diffusers (I have about 30 and I got them all for free!!!) and one of the prizes you can win through their giveaway is a coupon for a free 2oz soy candle all you have to do is turn over 3 cards with a picture of the 2oz candle on them. The other prize is a $100 AMEX Gift Card (seems unattainable...but a nice fantasy) which you can win by turning over 3 matching cards of a Glade 3 wick candle , well the other day I was on the puter and I logged in to do my daily contest and low and behold I turned over 3 cards with 3 wick candles on them!!! I was soo excited!!! But no window popped up to tell me I was a winner so I turned all the cards over and thought maybe that would do it. Nope, nothing.

Right away I emailed SC Johnson and told them in a polite email what happened and if there was anything they could do about it. I wasn't hoping for the gift card (although technically I thought I was supposed to win it), I would have been happy with a few coupons for free candles...did I mention I love these candles?? I didn't hear anything back so I called about a week later and they told me that I didn't win but thanks for my interest. I said thanks I kind of figured there was more in those Terms and Conditions than what met the eye. Oh well. But the guy that I talked to on the phone said he would pass the notes from our convo on to another department and let them make the final call. Ok whateva, probably not going to hear back from them but at least I did everything in my power to see the sitch through.

Well this evening I got a call from SC Johnson and a very nice lady named Eileen told me that she was sorry about the confusion and thanks for being patient and in about 4-6 weeks my $100.00 AMEX Gift Card would be in the mail!!! I had won and for some reason it was not officially recognized on the computer but since I had gone through all the appropriate channels and been a patient lady (Beth and Jenn if you are reading this don't fall out of your chair laughing at the idea of me be patient...I have been patient every now and again...like leap years or somethin) they were mailing out the gift card!!!!! I KNOW CRAZY RIGHT!!! Sooo hopefully right before Christmas the Pickle Fams will hopefully be getting a little last minute stash of Holiday Money!!! SO EXCITING!!! I am super grateful and I just thank God that I was graced with this little blessing!!!

In closing I would just like to state that those silly online giveaways work and I was kind of a skeptic before but I am a total believer now....try these little contests...they can work and sometimes you can even win big!!! What's 2 minutes of your time...it took that long to read this post...and in that time you could be a hundred dollars richer!!!


I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.


Monday, November 2, 2009

My darling son



The Top Picture was taken this morning. The Bottom Picture was taken yesterday.


Soo in true "Clyde" spirit there was an accident in the Pickle fams yesterday. And it involved screaming, blood, concrete and the poor darling extremely handsome face of my 2 year old. My kids were outside playing in the back yard on the patio, I had just walked inside to write something down and all of sudden I heard Bonnie scream followed quickly by Clyde's BLOODCURDLING screams!! I ran outside and came face to face with a bloody creature that pseudo resembled my baby boy. There was blood everywhere....leaking profusely from his nose, spilling out of his mouth and his nose was flat and purple. I immediately starting freaking out on the inside...I am usually calm when it comes to emergencies that involve my children but I have NEVER seen that much blood coming out of one of my babies. I ran into the house with him in my arms and headed straight for the bathroom to rinse his face off and see where exactly he was bleeding from. I screamed at Bonnie to get Daddum because he was resting before watch and as he comes flying out of the bedroom I realized that there is a huge gash on the inside of Clyde's lip and he is bleeding from BOTH nostrils. Daddum takes over holding Clyde because by now our son is hysterical and shaking and he screams at me to call 911.

Again one of the perks to living in the forest-y, secluded parts of Mississippi--the nearest hospital is 35 minutes away!! So the NAS Meridian Fire Dept and EMT's arrive and god bless them but seriously they looked more puzzled over the situation that Daddum and I were. Then a base police officer comes barreling through the door like he is playing out the first stage of his hostile takeover of the Dill house. AAGGHH!!! He needed me to fill out some paperwork, I am assuming because we had called 911-I dunnoo...I just knew that at that moment I did not care about paperwork I just wanted the blood bath that was my son's face to stop!!! They said we could not ride in the ambulance with Clyde because the EMT's needed to be back there with him and we would have to be buckled up in the front seat....ummm nooo. So we dropped Bonnie off at the neighbor's (THANK YOU FRANCOM FAMILY--YOU SAVED OUR DAY!!) and Daddum and I loaded up the PMV. Now Daddum said I was going 90 mph all the way to the hospital however I would like to claim temporary mph black out during the driving -I had one mission --get to the hospital QUICKLY so they could fix my son.

In what seemed like endless minutes and cruddy traffic lights (like who really needs those?? ) we made it to the Emergency Room and Daddum ran in with Clyde in his arms and we got seen fairly quickly...although if you ask me I think there was a smidge of lolly gagging going on and the ER nurses could have moved a LITTLE faster. But anyways our nurse came in told us Clyde's nose was probably broken (AAAHHH!!! SHOCK!!! HORROR!!!! SADNESS!!! My darling son and his handsome Dill nose--it would totally not be the same!!) and that they wanted to either take X-rays or a CT Scan to see how MANY bones in his nose may be broken!!! OHMIGOSH!! Insert near hysterical and guilt ridden Mama here, Daddum kept his cool and just kept saying "We'll figure it out and the doctors will take care of him.." We went back for a CT scan with Clyde and we kept singing to him to keep him calm; I am sure we looked like a totally sane parents belting out "ABC's" and "You are my sunshine" in the rooms and the hallways of the hospital. But Clyde did beautifully in the CT and minus Daddum singing a slightly LOUD rendition of "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" we got out of there unscathed. So then the dreaded part....we wait until a radiologist can read the scan and we go from there.


While we were waited eons for the results (ok ok it was probably closer to a half hour but I was still a little hysterical and I needed answers, results, Jesus, a slap, and some chocolate-what can I say I am a nervous eater) Clyde fell asleep and we calmed down and re-centered a bit, well Daddum was pretty calm but I re-centered during this down time. Then miracles upon miracles the ER doc walked in and told us that there Clyde did not have a BROKEN NOSE!!! PRAISE JESUS!!! The doc said that although his nose looked like a prizefighter's work and despite the amount of bleeding Clyde was just banged up real good. And on a totally unrelated tangent apparently my son has bad sinusitis and needed a shot of antibiotics to combat the inflared sinuses. Clyde was back to his normal self after his ER power nap and the Parents ran into WAGS to get his prescriptions filled looking like homicidal maniacs with blood ALL over our clothes but oh well. All's well that ends well.

Its now been 3 days and the skin around his eyes are going black and the swelling looks bad but my son is going to be okay. He hates us putting triple antibiotic ointment on his road rash but he just fights us for a second and then he gives in. He is on antibiotics for a few weeks and we are trying to give him meds to combat swelling (ice packs would be better but have you ever tried keeping an ice pack on the face of a 2 year old banshee, I meant boy...haha...I would have a better shot achieving world peace.)

Thank the Maker that it all worked out..the power of prayer!!! And I think it goes without saying that inside play is the only kind that the Pickle kids will be partaking in...preferably atop mounds of pillows and blankets while wearing helmets and mouth guards!!! Just kidding, well sort of....not really....hmm...now where are the helmets?? Ohhh...a day in the life of the Pickles!!!


I've been to war. I've raised twins. If I had a choice, I'd rather go to war.



Friday, October 30, 2009

Pumpkin Farm in "Chunky" Mississippi

We ventured to the Pumpkin Farm here is the sprawling metropolis of Meridian to get pumpkins for our family to either carve or paint (Bonnie does not like to carve them because she says it hurts the pumpkins- I know she is a crunchy tree hugger, what can I say she was born in California). Well we got there and discovered that they had a few activities for the kids to do (hay maze, train ride, punkin chunkin, petting zoo) so in true Dill spirit we decided to do it all and make a day of it. The petting zoo was eeehh..., the corn maze was fun it was one of those you can only make right turns so naturally Bonnie and Daddum figured it out in about 30 seconds and the train ride was laughable because Daddum got suckered into riding with the kids and the train was quite small in size...big man in a little train much?? It was freezing the day we went and yet today it is humid and uncomfortable as I type this post out--yay to living in the South/Gulf Coast/Humidity USA!! All in all it was a blast and at the Farm there were vendors so naturally Mama and Daddum gravitated towards the home made habanero salsa; needless to say we bought three Ball canning jars of Home made salsa and all but half of one is left. What can I say we are some spicy folks around here..Clyde andDaddum polished one jar between the 2 of them!!! Enjoy the pics and feel the good family times coming thru the computer at your face...its kinda like magic....at least we think so!!






Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love.
--1 John 4:7,8

Becoming a better Family Manager


So as the "family manager" (which I think is a lame title because I feel like Daddum and I make decisions as a unit) of my clan I have come to realize through great family (like MY mama) and great friends (all my TTM girls and military girlfriends) that there were changes that needed to be made. First and foremost, the grocery budget- OUT OF CONTROL!! I think back to what we were spending 6 months ago and I shudder at the amount of money we were just throwing away because I was too dumb (for lack of a better word!!) to use the magic "free" money that came to my house every Sunday----COUPONS!!!

Daddum had a friend who's wife had this website that showcased her frugal lifestyle (and gave out lots of tips to newbs) and out of sheer curiosity I started to e-creep on it and read about her money saving ways. At first I thought it was a hoax, this lady had to be lying--there was no way she could get all these things and spend little to no money. To say I was envious is a HUGE understatement, I was flat out green with ENVY!!! She has a family of 9 and spent in a month darn near what I spent every 2 weeks on my family of 4. Unbelievable right?? So I started to test the waters, I bought one newspaper on Sunday and was a total brand snob and clipped 5 coupons used them at the Commissary and was pleased. But my savings were but a drop in the pond of couponing...so I started "swaggin" coupon blogs, coupon sites, pretty much anything to do with the coupons. And I educated myself, and it took time and I tried different stores, and different tactics and then BLAM!!! I went on my first "shop" to my favorite store on the PLANET---PUBLIX and I used my new coupon knowledge and Mrs. C's tips and I DID IT!!! I spent $6.00 on over $40.00 worth of groceries!!! Daddum went with me to be moral support, and as we were walking out I ALMOST CRIED!!! I was sooo excited...and sooo totally hooked!!!

I developed a set of blogs that I checked daily and became active followers on. My fave blog hands down, no questions asked is The Thrifty Mama!!!
I met an excellent set of friends, learned sooo much and gained more knowledge about coupons i.e., buy multiples copies of the paper, Internet printables, trades, ebay, overage, CVS (I heart CVS), living green and all natural (still working on that but getting lots better!!). Between the blogs, calling customer service at 5 different grocery/drug stores (to find out their coupon policy), trial and error, prayer and pure luck I developed my couponing ways. I initially set a goal for our clan, cut grocery budget in half and try to stockpile enough daily necessities for a full 12 months. This included soap, shampoo, toothpaste, razors, (I know expensive right?) air freshener, tp..etc. First, I had to let go of brand loyalty, I know I know everyone loves that brand of face wash or shampoo or bread but lemme tell you....GET OVER IT!!! Second, it takes work so be ready to dig and get serious...I've said it before and I will say it again...its not for the faint of heart and this is definitely a situation where you get from it what you put into it...soo WORK HARD AND SUCK IT UP!! Third, it takes time...you may save $10-40 or better the first few weeks but it will be a few weeks before you really start to see the difference its making in both your stockpile and your overall budget. At least that's what it took me, maybe you will fare better than I did. Now it has been almost six months and I am UBER pleased to say that our grocery budget is now a third of what it once was!!! Not to mention that our stockpile is HUGE!!! It is not uncommon for me to spend $3-$5 on a grocery trip and although I tend to have piles (small ones) of coupon inserts in the living room, desk, or van (sorry Daddum I am working on getting & KEEPING them all together) and I lug a huge 3 inch coupon binder with me EVERYWHERE (you never know when you will catch a great clearance, hidden sale deal..in for a penny in for a pound right?). It works, coupons work! And a hidden plus since we (and I say we because it takes a effort on ALL our parts, and no one but me likes to be in the grocery store for 2 hours...thanks FAMS FOR PUTTIN UP WITH ME!!) starting couponing we have been able to do 2 things which I love..First, we eat probably 50 times better than we ever had, we eat about 50% or more organic, all natural and yay because really who likes preservatives. Second, we try so many new and "expensive" products that cooking and meal planning I think (and if you ask Daddum his opinion may differ) has become sooo much easier because we are rarely bored with what's in our pantry.

So in closing and I blog this paragraph with total seriousness: couponing has changed my life. It has changed the way I shop, the way I look at the money and most importantly how much I value my role as a stay at home parent/wife. I felt like it was my duty to make Daddum's hard earned funds stretch as far as they could, and through these means I have been able to do that, and I am getting better at it everyday. My job is in this home and I feel that this is where my calling is to be forever. Through this whole process I have learned alot about myself, my household, and my family..I hope I can take this new found knowledge and run with it...I feel like the success in my role of "home manager" depends on it. So wish me luck...extreme couponing calls my name and I need to check my blogs before I hit the hay. It's a healthy addiction I swear and its my new way of life now....YAY TO COUPONS...YAY TO SAVING MONEY!!!

"The homemaker has the ultimate career. All other careers exist for one purpose only - and that is to support the ultimate career. "
C.S. Lewis

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Excercise

treadmill cartoon Pictures, Images and Photos

Soo within the past week I have started to exercise regularly. And while its no joy, sadly I am not one of those people who enjoys working out...I think it is making a difference. I am not going to get any swimsuit models jobs just yet, I feel like I have more energy, more calm and I am gaining a huge sense of accomplishment everyday from doing something constructive for myself. I think as a parent, military wife and extreme coupon-er sometimes I forget to take time just for me, doing something that will have lasting positive effects for me- and only ME. Not for Daddum and not for the kids, just me.

Now exercise is healthy and I am not going to drone on about how we all need to do it, endorphins releasing, blah blah blah...we know that. But I feel good about myself after doing it...really good!! And I am fortunate enough to be married to a wonderful man who belts out encouraging and motivating sentiments me when I am elliptical-ing (and struggling for oxygen!). So he is definitely playing a major part of my success. And I have a goal in this, I would like to get back to my pre-second baby weight (which I am not going to divulge..a lady never weighs and tells!!) so that I can hopefully (with the help of JC) get pregnant all over again and expand the Dill clan. I think I have a long road ahead of me, and I would like to eventually work some Yoga into my routine (I do enjoy a lil Crunch Yoga Body Sculpt with Bethany from time to time...) and some pound-age to lose but hopefully THIS time I am in this for the long haul and I can keep my eye on the prize. If anyone has any tips for staying motivated or any good beginning Yoga/Tai Chi DVD's I would love to hear them!! I am fa sho nuff a fitness newb and I honestly need all the help I can get. Here's to rawwkkinn the workouts and burning the calories!!

"He who has health, has hope; and he who has hope, has everything."

Arabian Proverb

Monday, October 26, 2009

Shameless self promotion

So for my first post I thought I would go with a little self promotion. This is a video the myself and two other flight students put together for Primary Flight Training at Whiting Field in Milton, FL. This is the first "flying" phase of training on the road to becoming a Naval Aviator.

Primary Flight Training

This should give all of you out there in the blogosphere some idea of what my job is all about. We obviously like to work hard and play hard, and the job itself is a lot of fun. So this is what consumes the majority of my time. Studying, briefing, flying, de-briefing, rinse and repeat. I hope you enjoyed it. I plan to post more as my training progresses, and as anything else pops into my mind that I feel others would care to hear about.

"Bonnie & Clyde"


I decided (as the Mama) that this first post is going to be about the reason we do it all. The children. They are the reason for everything...from the commissioning to flight school to laundry to dinner at the table, (NOT on the couch like the parents want too!!). They truly are the light of our lives and our reason for getting up and coming home everyday. Soo here are our two wonderful blessings abridged versions..otherwise I could go on all day. Proud Mama and all that.

"Bonnie"...ohh what to say...Bonnie is Bonnie. When Daddum and Mama found out there was going to be a parents to a "Bonnie" we were soo excited quickly followed by totally terrified. We were going to be young parents (pregnant at 20 and 21), and we married young so we kind of knew what we were getting ourselves into, however "Our Plan" was to not start a family until we were 25. Haahh! Who knew? But the day she graced us with her arrival (after a very long and arduous labor) it was as if my whole life had been spent on a dark planet and suddenly I had found my sun.
As Bonnie grew she learned to talk early, walked late and was a girly diva even back then; her favorite color is pink and she loves all things High School Musical. She is so intelligent its frightening-just like her Daddum, and I feel like in another year I am going to run out of things to teach her. Her easygoing and loving personality makes me so proud to be her parent because she is just such a great kid. With her long curly locks, (that by the way we have noo idea where they come from) and big smile she has this amazing ability to just light up the room with her presence and her fun nature naturally draws friends to her everywhere she goes. Bonnie is cautious and methodical in most things but haphazard and a little tornado when it comes to others...she takes comfort in organization but excels in chaos as well. She makes me feel like as a Mama I am doing everything right and that even on my worst day it can't be all that bad because I created and nurtured such an amazing person so I am doing something productive with myself. She puts the Parents in our place, more often than we like to admit, with her infallible logic and she has this boundless love for her family, friends and random animals.
Bonnie has faith as a 5 year old that I think most adults couldn't cultivate, its comforting as her Mama that when she feels herself "frweeeakin" (she has trouble saying her r's) out or just because, she prays. And more often lately she is expressing a desire to become more educated on the Bible and see all the "cool stories"(her words, not mine) in there. Recently Bonnie has been expressing her distaste about being a little kid because she wants to grow up already and be big so she could stay up late (7:30pm bedtime) with Mama and Daddum. She wants to be a dentist, artist or gymnastics person when she grows up but then in the same breath she says she wants to be our lil "Poohks" forever. She is 100% girl in everything she does- I think the girl would wear pink from head to toe everyday if she had the wardrobe to support it. Bonnie cries at sad parts in movies and at the first site of blood. She believes that eating meat is not kind and she will only eat shrimp if we MAKE her. So she is about 80% vegetarian, much to my disbelief because both Parents could eat a steak for breakfast!! She is always preaching to the Parents about living green, recycling, and not making waste.
As far as her role as a big sister she puts Mama to shame (sorry Matt and Cynthia, I was a snarky older sister and I know it), she LOVES her brother and although she puts up a fight when we ask them to play together five minutes into it she going full boar having a blast. She is his protector, defender and buddy all day long. In short "Bonnie" is a superstar and a total joy in our life. How we got soo lucky to have such an excellent daughter I will never know but I am sure glad she picked us to be her Parents. LOVE YOU LOTS BONNIE!!!


"CLYDE"
Oh my, (heavy sigh) "Clyde" where do I even begin? When the Parents decided to have another baby it was more for "Bonnie's" sake because she was sooo lonely as a 2 year old and all she wanted was a friend. We got pregnant right away and we were so much more relaxed second time around for the new baby parenting that was looming ahead and I have a theory that Clyde knew this and was more laid back in (and out) utero. He came fast (well not super fast but faster than the 26 hours it took his sister) in the ungodly morning hours, water broke, hospital, baby in arms by 9:35am. He was a bruiser at over 8lbs who he had his Mama workin and he still does!! If Bonnie is the yin then Clyde is the yang. He is reckless, fearless and so brave that as his Mama its terrifying.
From the beginning Clyde was always relaxed, he was the baby that other mothers were in disbelief of because he was always asleep or not bothered by loud activity. Clyde eats like a horse, loves fruit, noodles and juice (although the latter is a MAJOR treat because RED DYE #40** is trying to kill me...he wants to peel paint after drinking it!!). So we have 2 vegetarians in the house unless we are eating eggs because I think both kids could polish off a dozen between them. Clyde was an early teether, (yay to nursing moms with a baby that has a mouthful of teeth!!--NOT!!) a late walker as well and a total pleasure to be around. When the Parents found out we were having a boy we were in total shock. I felt like I only knew how to parent a girl and boys were like banshees...wild, smelly and eager to eat anything that moved. Well that description is not too far off and I have learned to just back off and let him push his bravery to the limit. He is 100% boy because at times I wonder how he gets to be soo smelly, how poop got there, and hmmm, where did that bruise/blood/bump/gaping hole gushing bodily fluids come from.
At a full 2 years now he makes us laugh everyday with his crazy antics and stubborn nature. He likes Micheal Jackson (old Micheal not new Micheal) songs and does this amazing dance move where he pooches out his lower lip and sways back and forth. Mama has recently coined the idea that "Clyde" exhibits mischievous charm...he is soo adorable when he know he is going to be in trouble that you can't help but be melted by that big smile and those big brown eyes. When asked what he did and he knows he did wrong he will say with a twinkle in his eye.."nuummm nnuummm" (translation=NO NO). Needless to say he gets away with some things that we would have probably skinned the first kid over, although to Bonnie's credit I would never have had to worry about her coloring particular "private" parts of her body with magic marker-yes true story..we have the pictures to prove it! He potty trained early (well we don't think so but according to the vast majority of parents out there he is like a potty training prodigy-HA..if only they knew Mama wanted him out of diapers earlier than he was!)
In the Spirit of St.Louis Clyde is a die hard Cardinals baseball fan. Everything with a STL Cardinal on it is greeted with cheers of "DDaarrddnnuuls EEHH!!" and his FATHER has diluted his mind to be beyond excited at the sight of motorcycles, airplanes and baseball!!! Clyde's favorite outfit usually consists of one his 5 STL Cardinals shirts and pants and then the beloved Crocs. The boy hates shoes in all forms and Crocs were the only compromise the Parents could come to so that the child did not walk around barefoot everywhere...banshee remember?? Clyde is really developing and changing as a kid, he loves being read too and in the past few weeks he had decided for himself that he is over sitting in a high chair and wants to sit at the table like a "Did boy" (translation= Big Boy). Boys require a different technique of parenting and as I hone that skill set all I can say is that I have high hopes for us as the Parents that we can do as well with him as we do with Bonnie. Clyde you add so much joy to our family and we could not have imagined our lives without you in it!!! LOVE YOU LOTS CLYDE!!

**Thanks Jenn for the Red Dye #40 tip...Clyde is officially allowed to only drink organic red dye #40 free juice. Talk about hyper!! : )

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man. ~Rabindranath Tagore

Hi and Welcome!!!


After much debate and indecision the Dills have decided to start a blah-g. We feel like our life is in a real state of flux right now and what better way to combat the anxiety and stress that comes along with that than to BLOG ABOUT IT!!! So for our stats: Family of four (and always looking to expand!!) Daddum-the Navy pilot, Mama-homemaker extraordinaire (or so we like to think!!!) and wife, "Bonnie" girly, sweet and uber intelligent kindergartner, "Clyde" 2 year old brave boy who is just discovering all the parts of his body (translation-potty trained and curious!) gravity and personal limits, and Shooter the Mutt- smelly, dumb but a total doll who is very lovable and won our heart from the first gaze of those big brown eyes. This blah-g will be a mix of both Daddum and Mama posts, frugalista finds (courtesy of Mama), family adventures, spiritual growth and learning, not to mention ongoing Navy flight school updates (by way of Daddum himself). So sit back enjoy the ride and welcome to the chaos, love and good times that only the Dills can bring!!!