Wordless Wednesday: iPhone Photo Dump (Christmas Edition)

See you in 2012!

Anything You Can Do...

His shrieks of delight surprised even me when we walked into the room. I was a little apprehensive; I knew he was almost too young to really enjoy the hands-on activities at the museum but I was determined to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities our new city has to offer.

I meandered my way through the crowd of older children, children that were all already walking and standing without holding on.

The music space had all of his loyal friends: guitars, drums and tambourines. I was relieved that we magically ended up in that section to start.

All it took was a glimpse of a guitar and he was off, crawling his way head first.

Through a wind ensemble.

Through an archaeological dig.

Through an Alice and Wonderland adventure.

And I didn't need to worry about his mobility. He picked up some fast wheels on his own.

Wordless Wednesday: Joy

Ghosts of Blogging Past

"Once upon a time I started a blog. Once upon a time about three people read my blog on a regular basis. Once upon a time lots of you started a blog, had only a handful of readers, and just. kept. writing."

Chosen Chaos and Mommy2cents really know what they are talking about. I am pretty sure only my husband read my blog for the first six months.

So to celebrate the end of 2011 and the closing of Life As Wife's second year, I present my first post: 
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"As busy as I claim to be, I've still got the greatest job in the world."


Even as I begin this "blogging" adventure, signs are everywhere telling me I will not have the time: the dogs need to be walked, my sick-hubby needs his medicine, the laundry needs folded, the dogs need walked, the house needs cleaning and the dishes are not going to wash themselves. Oh, did I mention the dogs need walking?

All are joys of being a wife; things I normally love to do as long as I am not wrapped up in the pages of a book or writing (for work or otherwise).

However, the "normal" life distractions are only a portion of my job description, I am also an Army wife. The latter includes more challenging duties, accurately and humorously described below in "army lingo" :

I'm the IG, complaints come to me.


I am the Medic, I bandage skinned knees.


I'm the Legal Office and the courts-martial, too.


I decide the punishment, how much and on who,


I'm Health: Welfare, inspecting for junk,


and the 1SG checking the bunk.


I'm also Supply, in charge of food,


clothes,house wares, diapers, toys,


heaven only knows.


I'm the MP, who secures the door,


I'm also the PVT who GI's the floor,


I'm the Mess SGT who cooks all the meals.


I'm TMP in charge of the wheels.


I'm MWR planning all the fun


and I am the Bugler, announcing the "day is done".


I'm the KP, who does all the dishes,


I am the DA who hears all you wishes.


I'm the CQ and the Fireguard, too,


there isn't that much that I don't do.


I'm the Squad Leader, who knows his troops well,


sometimes the Drill SGT who really can yell.


I never go to battle, an AR of some sort,


but you can count on me to bravely guard the fort.


I'm ALWAYS on duty,


I never take leave,


no Holidays off, it's hard to believe!


I can never ETS, I signed for life,


my primary MOS is partner,


my secondary is Army Wife.

I also decided that only being a homemaker was not for me right now and I am currently interning at Business & Heritage Clarksville magazine. Life is pretty perfect. Now, if only I could become a mommy to more than just my two crazy furbabies.

As busy as my life may seem, I wouldn't have it any other way. No matter how many "jobs" I accumulate, the greatest one will always be Life As Wife.

Wait, I Have to Parent?

The little man is one, big HOT. MESS. He never sits still and consequently neither do I.
He is here and there and everywhere.

I am pretty scared to be honest. The newborn days? They were easy! All I had to do was keep him alive and a strict schedule of feeding, sleeping, changing and cleaning kept this OCD mama on track! We have always read to Jackson and made sure he had educational toys but now he gets bored and wants to do things. He understands what no means and needs boundaries.

Now, I actually have to parent, decide what is right and wrong and what I will allow. I thought I had it all figured out before I had kids. I would be a stern but loving parent and would teach by example.

But holy hell guys! What if I don't teach him the right things? Why are all the important lessons about right and wrong and integrity about more than just "words"?

I guess the first ten months were just warm-up. Now? The fun begins!

Wordless Wednesday: Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

Innocence & Needs

I was angry and loosing my patience. My mom had been with us for only five days and - I am embarrassed to say - between little man, the dogs, unpacking and her, my fuse had burned short.

It was bath time. I made sure all the clean clothes were laid out, the water was just the right temperature and not too deep. A towel was waiting and another was folded up to cushion my knees.

This time, there were no rubber duckies or turtle toys peeking out from under the bubbles. This time, I wasn't bathing my son.

I marveled at the similarities between bathing my mom and son (sad that the comparisons came so easily): holding their heads to help them lay back, following the same routine with the washcloth and meticulously avoiding getting soap in their eyes.

My anger faded away with each apology and thank you. She was embarassed, lucid enough to know what was happening, to think she was a burden. And I had let her think that.

Jackson and my mom may be at opposite ends of their lifetimes but their innoncence and needs are identicial.

I need to remember that.

What Do You Do?

The other night I survived my first night shift.

I. WAS. EXHAUSTED.

Little man had just woken up. His eyes were still coated with dreams and his breaths were uneven; he had been screaming.

Apparently, he decided to cut another tooth and host a fever while I was gone. I scooped him up to relieve my poor hubby and sat down to rock him like I used too. Jackson wasn't sleepy. He sat there with his eyes open, patting my shoulder.

It was like he was trying to comfort me when I was trying to comfort him.

"It's OK Mama, I missed you too."

"Don't worry, I am not mad."

We rocked for over an hour, patting and reassuring one another. His breathing was no longer labored as he settled into the nook of my neck.

That was my last, first day.

Wordless Wednesday: MugSwap 2011

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MugSwap 2011, where we bloggers created a coffee mug complete with our bloggy brand and secretly sent it to the recipent, was organized and hosted by Liz at a belle, a bean & a chicago dog.

Galit from These Little Waves sent me the little man-approved mug pictured above! Thanks Galit!

Replanting Our Family Tree

I got this plant on the day that Jackson was born.
It looks pretty sickly and with my black-thumb it never really stood a chance; however, by some miracle it has been the only plant I have ever been able to keep alive. (Full disclosure: it is a cactus of some kind so it needs minimal water and light. Even I probably couldn't kill the dang thing!)

It has survived: three moves, one repotting, two dogs eating it (there used to be three stalks) and one baby digging in it.
Right now, in more ways then one, I am that plant. I look and feel wimpy and beat up. Things have been pretty rough lately.

Yes we have moved again. That makes for FIVE moves since I started writing Life As Wife. FIVE. MOVES. One when I was pregnant and two with a new baby. Why the latest move back to Chattanooga after leaving only eight months ago? In October Kris was laid off from his job in Arkansas because the economy sucks. He was hitting the pavement every day for new opportunities (heck for any opportunities) and there were none. On top of that my mom is getting worse every day and we have some hard choices to make as our abilities to care for her at home are limited.

So back to Chattanooga! We were blessed that our current landlord found a renter so easily but that meant we had one weekend to find a place suitable for two dogs, a baby and us. Oh - and we had about twenty dollars to our name. On the positive side we found a suitable (but small) apartment and a J.O.B.!! My OCD and stress about the holidays (and giving our son the best of everything) has really had me at rock bottom.
But you know what? Like my plant, I am still growing. Wimpy and beat down but alive and no matter how bad it seems I always have this ray of sunshine:

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Linking up with Mama Wants This and These Little Waves because I am all about capturing memories: both good and bad!