Update on the kids...

Today Mikey started Kindergarten. We had a good time. It's really a tough task to prepare all the curriculum and balance all the kids and teach well, but it was really great. I just loved how we were all doing something together. I think the kids loved it. I can definitely see how homeschooling really has the potential to create an extremely close-knit family. I can also see how homeschooled kids could get a sub-par education. Fortunately, I'm extremely motivated to challenge them with very high standards for education. I plan to start teaching them Latin in 3rd grade. Speaking of language, we started Spanish today as well. I'm really hoping that in a couple of months Mikey will be able to have a basic pleasantry conversation with someone in Spanish - I'm also hoping that Roman and Sami pick up the language with him. I was also talking to another homeschooling family and she suggested a program for starting them on piano at 6 years old. I'm going to look into that when it gets closer.

Let's see... interesting things about the kids lately:

• Yesterday Jasmyn came running out of the Quizno's bathroom and proclaimed to the crowded restaurant that Mikey didn't wipe his privates. Nadia said in a quiet voice to settle her down that Mikey was a boy and boys don't need to always wipe their privates....
• A couple of weeks ago Mikey said he wanted a strong wind to come by because he wanted to fly....
• Roman has learned the very annoying trick to pretend that he doesn't want to come to me when someone else is holding him. He thinks it's so funny - I don't.
• Mikey asked me the other day if the United States gave Daddy a sword.
• Sami is very sneaky and has learned that if she behaves as though she's hurt she can usually get away with getting a kiss and getting her brother in trouble.
• Mikey made an airport with legos the other day.
• Roman likes to make airplanes, trains, cars, etc go "vroom".
• Mikey and Sami feed the dogs every day twice a day so I don't have to - Roman "helps" and sometimes feeds himself....
• Sami can count in English and Spanish to ten and if in the right mood can quote Psalm 23 and the Ten Commandments - without her brother's help.
• Mikey has practically memorized every children's Bible story we've ever read.
• Sami just fell out of her bed - she broke one end of the bed so she's sleeping at the foot where there are no side rails. She had a very sad cry.

That's all I can think of for now...

Looking Forward to Variety

Letter from Michael:
August 25, 2008

Here's a picture sent a couple of days ago with the guys having some nearing final days celebration with BBQ and flag football.

This will probably be my last journal entry from FOB Dwyer, unless anything interesting happens within the next two weeks. We are inching closer to our departure date, and we are all looking forward to being back at KAF. Of course, nothing compares to our desire to get back to the United States . Being out here has certainly refreshed my outlook on what is important in life and how the little things that you take for granted can really be missed. So, I thought I would dedicate this entry to what I am looking forward to when I get home other than the obvious (the “obvious” being family, friends, electricity, and running water).

I am looking forward to walking through Wal-mart, taking my time, feeling the cool air on my face, and having the option of buying just about whatever kind of food I want. You see, we have been eating the same 2 meals for about 2 or 3 weeks now. And while I appreciate the fact that we get hot meals served twice daily, it does tend to get monotonous. I am looking forward to being able to eat whatever I want, whenever I feel like it. Being the health nut that I am, however, this means that I can’t wait to sink my teeth into a nice cold cut sandwich, with ham, roast beef, salami, turkey, sprouts, baby spinach, roasted red peppers, yellow mustard, salt, pepper, and vinegar.

I am looking forward to sitting in the car with Kelle beside me, and the kids in the back, making all of their noise. We don’t have to have anywhere to go or be in particular, just the fact that my family is with me again, all in one place. I can’t wait to be able to listen to the radio while driving in the car, and if it gets a little too hot, I can just turn on the a/c and, voila, instant coolness. I look forward to collapsing on my couch after a long day, wearing nothing but shorts, t-shirt and flip flops, and turning on the tv to watch some sports. Out here, of course, there are no tv’s, and I have been wearing this same uniform for the past 5 months. Even when I go to bed, I keep my trousers on. I look forward to wearing different clothes every day.

I look forward to walking through a mall with my wife and kids in tow. The food court will be like a slice of heaven, with all the selections to choose from. But, me being me, I will probably opt for that cold cut sandwich.

I notice a trend in these things that I look forward to upon my return. I seem to crave variety and choice. That makes sense, because out here, there is no variety, there is no choice. The military is not a democracy, and rightfully so. Everything we do is governed by rules, someone else’s rules imposed on us “for our own good.” Right or wrong, like them or not, as a Marine and especially as an officer, I cannot complain about the rules, I cannot disobey the rules, I cannot try to undermine the rules. I must not only enforce them, but I must set an example for others. Yes, it gets old, but there surely is always a method to the madness. I hope so, because it can certainly get maddening doing the same thing day after day.

Until these desires are filled, I will have to continue putting on my game face, being resolute and steadfast in setting that example, and I will have to look forward to getting back to KAF, which is the first huge step in getting home.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

From Michael:
August 17, 2008

It has been nearly a full month since I last wrote. Not much has really happened in that month. Our convoys were struck by IEDs, resulting in some serious injuries, but thankfully, no deaths. By my count, we have had 4 IED strikes on our vehicles thus far, none resulting in fatalities. We have been either extremely good, or extremely lucky…probably a mix of both.

The temperatures have been steadily in decline as of late, which is welcome relief from the 130-degree days of June and July. I believe the high yesterday was a cool 111. The “milder” temperatures do bring one bad omen, flies. I guess not even the flies can survive at 120 degrees plus, but at 110, they do just fine. I put up one of those disposable fly traps that Kelle sent me near my living quarters and, despite the fact that it smells like rotted flesh, it does a very good job. Flies, it appears, like the smell of rotted flesh, as the trap literally has about an inch of dead flies floating on the surface of the water in the trap. Yes, disgusting, but just think about that layer of flies swarming around your face all day long. Equally disgusting if not more so.

We are nearing the end. We used to have a saying that “the light at the end of the tunnel just might be a train coming in the opposite direction”. We can all see the light at this point, so let’s hope it’s not that proverbial train. The focus at this point is transitioning into what we call “retrograde”. This is actually a very labor-intensive and detailed planning process. Unpacking upon our arrival is easy, it’s putting everything back into the box that is difficult. Add to that the rush that everybody is in to get out of town, and you have some serious safety concerns. At this point, the most dangerous people on the battlefield are ourselves.

I admit that it is difficult to keep focused when it feels like we are so close to going home. But Marines are professionals, and I cannot let my guard down, even for a moment. There are Marines that depend on me doing the best job I can, and if they see me ease up and get lazy, it sets a bad precedent.

I am looking forward to eating normal human food back in Kandahar , and then eating good normal human food back in the States. I can’t wait to have good Tex-Mex and good pizza.

Swimming Fun

It's summertime and what would summer be without the pool and the beach.

The kids took swimming lessons and that was fun, but too much for Mommy without Daddy. It was four days a week for two weeks straight. Translation, nothing but the pool for nearly two weeks. I like to get out more, sorry to those fish out there.

Other than those two weeks, we've been heading to the pool and/or the beach at least once a week all summer. Unfortunately I don't have many pictures, not enough hands, but here are a few of them...

Mikey loves his goggles and he is now swimming underwater. He loves the water, but he is cautious. I don't mind that!

Not only is Sami adorable in her Tankini's and Surfer shirts, but she is cute in the water. She's great at going underwater and experimenting. She is timid, but she's gaining more confidence as we go each week.
Then there's Roman...he's totally going to be a surfer. In his swimming class he wanted to skip learning to float and stand on the floating board. And he actually did with exceptional balance. He also is perfectly fine with going underwater and loves to blow bubbles in the water (btw - he's 18 mos this month). He's NOT cautious and very daring.

As I mentioned earlier, we head to the beach often as well. I figure that we live too close to the beach not to go often. However, I have to admit, it's not my favorite idea of fun with the kids. Don't get me wrong, it's fun, but it's exhausting for me. There's so much that could go wrong and so much work, sand, and sweat that goes into a trip to the beach. Needless to say, my beach chair doesn't get much use.

Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures from the beach (again, not enough hands, although perhaps Beth got some good ones when we met her there... Beth, any good ones?). But, I can tell you that next summer I'm hoping I can convince Michael to get all of us to take surfing lessons. I love the idea of surfing and the kids thought standing on the boogie board was the coolest thing ever.

I know, they're a little young, but I'm sure they have something we can do with them to begin to teach them surfing. I plan to sign them up for more swim lessons through out the year to improve their swimming skills so we can try surfing asap!

Haircuts

A few weeks ago - I know, I'm way behind - I took the kids to get haircuts. This was Roman's first haircut so he got all his baby hair cut off. It's still hard to tell a color but the hair in the floor didn't look like his because it looked so brown. I should admit here as well that I got a little choked up picking up his baby hair. He's probably my last baby and it was a little sad for me.

Mikey was up first:

Sami and Roman waited while they ate bananas
Sami was next and happy to get started
She doesn't look so happy now, but she is. This is her, 'no one can see that I have emotions' look. She's cute with the little metal clips holding her hair in place so the lady can cut. She's such a big girl!
I really think she loved getting her haircut, you'd just never know it from the look on her face. Then there's Roman...
Clearly, he didn't like it...

Here's the outcome: Cute little kiddos!