He speaks

As little man hits 14 1/2 months old he is really starting to talk- or at least his version of talking. Some of the words commonly found in his vocabulary-

* dada
* car
* cracker
* cat
* dog
* pool
* diaper
* shoes
* banana
* apple
* truck
* ball
* bubble
* all done
* peek- a- boo (pronounced a-booooo)
* uh-oh- which can be dragged out many, many times- uh,uh,uh,uh, ohhhhhh
* hello
* bye- bye
* pretzel
* outside
* close

Notice anything missing from this list?

Uh-oh

Little man and I have been taking advantage of our backyard quite a bit this summer. We spend lots of time outside on the patio in his pool or his sandbox.

Yesterday I did not have him in a swim diaper or bathing suit so when he decided to take matters into his own hands and climb into the pool I decided a little skinny dipping would be a better solution than going back inside for a swim diaper while carrying a wet toddler.

LM found this newfound freedom wonderful. He ran around the backyard pointing out all of the things he saw that he recognized.. bah-ble, ball, bahd, pewl.

After proving his prowess with words he decided it was time for a swim. He climbed into his pool, stood up and grabbed his package. That's right my little 14 month old son stood in his baby pool grabbing himself.

I turned to get the camera figuring this would be a funny thing to send to 3M and before I turned back around I heard "uh-oh, uh-uh-uh-oh". I turned to see his little hand is raised towards me and there is #1 flowing into the pool.

Yes, little man "uh-oh" is right.

Operation Fitness Continues

All is going well on the stop eating crap, exercise you lazy woman plan. I have dropped 4 of the 6 pounds I gained while 3M was home and only have seven more to go to reach my goal.

ExericseTV is still one of my favorites and I have been doing it often. I am also going to take a few Pilates classes at the studio I used to go to before 3M and I got married, while I am visitng my parents. LM and I are also going to join a gym for the month we will be up there. I figure the daycare room will be good for him and then exercise will be good for me, as will the break having him in daycare will give me.

I feel better and I am proud that I have stopped procrastinating and started moving again.

3M is also proving to be great motivation. He has finally decided that during his 18 hour work day he is going to stop, no matter what is going on, and get a workout in. If he can find time to workout in 140 degree weather, with his weapon by his side, I suppose I can hit the gym before going to Dunkin Donuts for an Iced Gingerbread Latte.

He just wanted to share

3M often sends emails venting about some of the cultural differences that he experiences while operating inside Iraq.

Today he sent me this email about his day out in the city. Warning you do not want to read this while enjoying a meal or even a snack:

I have seen something today that will scar me for life. I have had the luxury of witnessing a lot of things since arrival in this place last December. Today however, takes the cake.

We were on the last leg of our patrol today and were making our way to a checkpoint on the east side of the city that we were going to check out. In this particular ECP there are usually a lot of cars and a lot of pedestrians in the area, and today was no different. We stop our vics
and dismount everyone that needs to get out and conduct the visit. I was on the gun today and was obviously doing my scan crap and trying to check everything out for threats and stuff, when I noticed this guy ahead of us on foot kind of walking circles. Walking circles like a dog that's sniffing around. He found his sweet spot and in front of God, us, all the people around and all of the vehicles around, oh and his family right across from him watching - pulls his man dress up, squats down and commences to taking a shit. WOW.

Anxiety.. It's what's for dinner

LM and I are flying to my parent's on Wednesday.

There are many, many things about that statement that are giving me anxiety, in mass quantities.

1. The last time LM and I flew there was copious amounts of mind-numbingly loud, gawd-awful embarrassing, want to jump out of the emergency exit screaming.Only some of it was coming from me. And, no I am not exaggerating.
2. Our flight is at 0630. What in the hell was I thinking, signing us up for a flight that early.
3. I have no choice but to drive us and all of our stuff to the airport at the butt crack of dawn.
4. Do you have any idea how much stuff I have?
5. I have way too much stuff (little man, suitcase, car seat, wheel attachment thing that makes the car seat a stroller, carry one bag, my sanity) that I need to figure out how to get out of the car, into the airport, through security, onto the plane, off of the plane, through the Atlanta airport, onto another plane, off the plane, and out of the airport.
6. re-read number 5.
7. No seriously, did you re-read number 5.

Hold me...