Holding it Together Part II

Sorry that it's been so long since I posted...but I've been very busy learning how to hold it all together in this new-fangled family situation. And I've been busy alternately wondering where baby eyelashes come from (seriously...Will had no eyelashes at birth and three weeks later, pop, there they were and of course, they are long and getting darker and thicker--my kids have eyelashes that Heidi Klum would envy) and wondering how someone who weighs 10 pounds and does nothing but eat, poop and sleep could store so much fury.

And in between nuzzling Will's fuzzy head, smelling his tiny ears and nibbling on his baby corncob toes, I've been busy bringing up his sister and brother, keeping a house tidy, doing pile after pile of laundry, buying groceries and taking three-hour car trips to Garmisch sans husband. And exercising as much as I can, since the scale doesn't seem to want to budge past a certain point that I will not disclose because it horrifies me. Yes, yes, I know...just had a baby and all that jazz, but I am not one known for my patience and tolerance, you know?

Still no orders, I know that folks have been wondering. We don't know what's happening. The detailer is so hard to get ahold of or is otherwise hiding under his desk (and I don't blame him), that Hans has taken to talking to his secretary instead. She seems to know more about what's going on, which isn't saying much. All that we know for certain at this point is that we don't have them. The last word was that "They would be in this week or next week". Yeah, or maybe the week after that or the week after that. No one knows. The sad thing is that this is a problem for a lot of Navy folks right now, not just us...people are getting orders just days before having to make moves. Captains and people higher on the totem pole than us are getting jacked around. It is a bad situation all around...and it really saddens me that people who would dedicate their careers and give their lives if necessary are being treated like this by our government. Yet another sign of America in decline, if you ask me.

Hans attended Josiah's first parent-teacher conference today. It was at 8:20 this morning, which meant that there was no way I would be going. I barely have everyone ready to go by noon, much less 8:20 a.m. I anxiously awaited the phone call afterward, fearing that the teacher would be full of complaints about Josiah, but miraculously, the only bad things she had to say is that he has trouble listening (what? for real? color me surprised) and that he has trouble sitting still. I think...normal five-year-old boy complaints. I still have trouble listening and sitting still and I'm 35! Anyway, Josiah is doing well. He is reading at a grade level 2.7 according to the tests she gave him, that's even better than I expected. Teacher recommended that we should try to get him into a multi-age class in Virginia or something like a Montessori school. Hans and she agreed that Josiah would be bored silly in a plain old kindergarten class. So I'll have to do a little research into schools in the neighborhoods we've been scoping out.

Our little trip to Garmisch last week went well. I was a little nervous to take everyone down there alone (Hans was already there and attending a conference), but I couldn't resist the lure of doing that drive in the fall. I've done it in all four seasons now and would be hard pressed to decide which is the prettiest. Anyway, the drive went well. Will slept the entire time, so he was easy enough. Annika took a nap and Josiah occupied himself in some way far away in the farthest back seat. We had a corner room on the main floor, which alleviated some of my worries about stomping children and crying babies disturbing other guests. We ate, played in the pool, played on their new playground and spent a little time downtown. Oh, and I had a body wrap on Friday evening, scheduled by my lovely husband...that was very pleasant.

Not much else to report. Will is finally sleeping after having been up all morning, so I'm trying to get a few things on my list done in the meantime. Josiah has today and tomorrow off from school, so he and Annika are playing something with Legos in his room, peacefully, for a change. I'm trying to journal, do laundry, blog, e-mail with Hans and contemplate running errands all at the same time.

But so far, I'm holding it together!