You know life is good...

...when your kids start fighting over who gets to clean up the kitchen floor. Not since the invention of hugs and kisses has a parent ever truly been able to appreciate the eagerness of children. I don't know what it is about the Swiffer Vac, but my kids adore it. Its practically a member of the family. To be quite honest, I don't know what I would do without it.
The older Emily gets, the more "chores" she accumulates. Parents have been shocked when I ramble off Emily's daily "to-do" list. Obviously people don't realize the benefit to daily responsibilities. Yes, there are days when Emily down right refuses to do any of them. But one must remember that she is only 3. However, I also appreciate the fact that contributing to the family is a priceless gift that a parent MUST bestow upon their children.

Emily's Daily To-Dos

Make her bed

Feed the fish

Set the table

Clear her dishes after every meal

Put her dishes in the dishwasher if they are dirty

Swiffer Vac the kitchen

Clean out her backpack and lunch pail after school and put them away

Give Mommy hugs and kisses on demand*

This may seem like a lot. In reality however, these are things that anybody who is capable would be doing. If we expose our kids to "chores" early on, then eventually they aren't chores. They turn into things that just "are". Like getting dressed for the day, or going to the bathroom. Its just something that you do. The definition of the word Chore: A task, especially a difficult, unpleasant, or routine one; To steal.
Now I don't know about you, but that doesn't seem like very much fun. No one likes to be forced into doing anything. Not too many people can complain about having to go to the bathroom or getting dressed for the day. I think too many people make chores a point of forcing control over their kids. Take the emphasis off the "must" people! When we try to police our kids, that's when they rebel. Give them a sense of pride and ownership, acknowledge when they are a help and an asset. Give them an identity within the family and let them know how truly important they are. In return, they will strive to do whats right.
This may in fact be an entirely idealistic perspective. All I can say is that the encouragement and love that Emily constantly receives has given her great tools to use on a daily basis outside of the home. I see her encouraging and congratulating everyone from her sister, to her classmates and even her teachers. Emily knows that she has so much to offer, and I only pray that that feeling of self-worth lasts. As a parent it is my responsibility to show her that everyone needs to contribute, that sometimes you lose and no matter what the outcome is, she must always do her best, even when she knows it wont be enough. Pride in oneself, and the ability to help others is a gift worth having..wouldn't you agree?
I'll get down from this soap box that I have been standing on and let you all get back to your day. I'm afraid this post got away from me a bit. You all should know by now that when I have an opinion, I love to share. *Wink*
So, get out there and give your kids their own "To-Do" list!

* Non-negotiable

For my Friends that have become my Family

...a friend showed this to me awhile back...thought it deserved a post.

The Truth Military Wives Face

I would like to recognize these often underestimated, unseen, and unheard heroes.

This is for the sad Military wives, the angry Military wives, and the strong Military wives.

This is for the young women that are waking up at 6 a.m. every morning, laying out clothes and packing three lunches for those small precious children that they have been left alone to care for.

This is for the pregnant Military wife, wondering if her husband will make it home in time to watch their miracle happen.

This is for the childless Military wife, living in a town or on a base alone where she is a complete stranger to her surroundings.

This is for the women that feel like a third leg when they go out with their friends and their husbands.

This is for the Military wife that canceled all her plans to wait by the phone, and even though the phone broke up and cut off every time you spoke to him, you waited anyway.

This is a pledge to the women that cry themselves to sleep in an empty bed.

This is to recognize the woman that felt like she was dying inside when he said he had to go, but smiled for him anyway.

This is for those of you that are faithfully in that long line at the post office once a month, handling 2 large boxes and 2 smallchildren like a pro.

This is for that woman that decided to remodel the house to pass time, and then realized that she had no idea what she was doing, sighed and wished she had a little help.

This is for all the lonely nights, all the one-person dinners, and all of the wondering thoughts because you haven't heard from him in days.

A toast to you for falling apart and putting yourselves backtogether. Because a pay check isn't enough, a body pillow in your bed is no consolation, and a web cam can never compare.

This is for all of you no matter how easy or hard this was for you. Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines are brave, they are heroes, but so are we. So the next time someone tells you that they would never marry a Military man, don't bother explaining to them that you can't control who you fall in love with. Just think of this and nod your head, know that you are the stronger woman. Hold your heads up high, hang that flag in your front yard, stick 100 magnets on your car, and then give yourself a pat on the back.

Be proud to be the woman that you are, be proud to be a Military wife.

Daddy is Dashing

Corey had to wear his Dress Blues to work on Friday. Emily never sees him in uniform, as he always changes out of his Cami's at work. To put it simply, she was amazed when he walked through the door. She wanted to know what every tie, button and pin was for. She also grew quite fond of the hat.

If Only Every Day Could Be A Beautiful Weekend

We were attacked by beautiful weather this weekend and I was easily reminded of why I truly love living in Southern California. The rest of the country is currently being pummelled with icy winter storms, and we are exchanging our jeans and t-shirts for bathing suits. Why would I possibly want to live anywhere else? Sure we have our share of earthquakes, grid lock traffic, and an insane cost of living...but hey, I have tan lines in January!
Emily is learning all about arctic animals and and ice in school this month. She begged us all last week to take her to see the walruses and polar bears at Sea World. I'm not one to disappoint, so we took the girls on Saturday. It was nice having Corey along, a treat we don't normally have. I usually just cruise there with the girls on the occasional week day. We don't get to watch any of the shows typically because I'm by myself and they don't allow strollers in the stadiums. I'm not crazy enough to drag two small children into a crowded stadium and then hike up to the top where I know I wont get splashed by frigid "Shamu" water. So, because Daddy was there, we got to see Shamu! Emily was thrilled and had the "Shamu Chant" down pat by the end of the performance. Here are just a few photos of our day there.

The Beluga Whale Exhibit

Emily carried the park map around the whole time, directing us to where she wanted to go.

Sisters are the best!

On Sunday, we hit the sand. It was a wonderful day at the beach, and I was excited that Corey was around to enjoy another great day with the girls. Our time with him is quickly dwindling and its nice that he gets to enjoy "Summer" activities with the girls in January. The focus is family right now. It definitely helps you appreciate all the little things that typically go unnoticed, when you know your time is limited.

Its slightly eerie. I have a photo of Corey and Emily just like this before his last deployment. Emily was exactly the same age.

Reflections in the sand

The Dismount

Emily's Reflection

Corey and Sam's Reflection

Samantha's Reflection

A bittersweet goodbye...

to the crib that is. Yes, its true. Samantha has graduated to a "big girl" bed. We got her bed and set it up yesterday afternoon, and she couldn't have been more excited. I was a little worried about how the girls would do together last night, seeing as they could both escape from their beds. They did great. We put Sam down first. She just snuggled right in under her sheet and happily fell asleep. Same with her nap today. I have been very lucky in that the girls take to transitions very easily. Emily was the same way with her bed. She gave up the Binky in a day. We are currently working on the Binky with Sam. We should have those out of the house by next week.
It makes me a little sad to see these things go. All the little signs of the very fleeting time when the babies are actually babies. But lets face it, they are way more fun the older they get. Samantha has recently become a fan of the word poop, and Emily thinks everything is "so funny mommy!" Their little personalities come out in full force, just when you least expect it.
I look forward to keeping you updated on all of their daily jokes and trouble.

Seattle or Bust

At the last minute, we decided to take a trip out to Washington to visit my brother Ariel and his wife Kassi in Seattle. Washington has just gotten a ton of snow, so we were excited to get the girls out there. We arrived in the middle of the night, so Emily didn't know about the snow until the next morning. All morning, through breakfast, baths and getting ready, all she could talk about was making snow angels. I'm not quite sure how she knew about snow angels, but she was dead set on making one. She gets outside and starts stomping through the snow. She gets a funny look on her face and then stomps back to the sidewalk. I asked her what was the matter. Her response..."Mommy, I'm not ever making snow angels! Never, Never. This isn't snow, this is ice!" I didn't know what to say. I tried as hard as I could to stifle my laughter, but I couldn't help it. The things that have been coming out of her mouth lately! She just gets more funny with age!

We did lots of driving on this trip. Little Sam is a road tripping pro!

We took the girls sledding for the first time. Emily wasn't a huge fan, but Sam loved it!

Ariel and Kassi sledding

Sour puss and Daddy after an unsuccessful sledding trip.

The beautiful couple!

Seattle Space Needle!

I was excited to see the Space Needle. Everyone else in our group decided to be party poopers so Emily and I went up together. Emily was amazed by the elevator that took us all the way to the top. In the end, I was happy it was just Emily and I. We very rarely get to do things just her and I. She can appreciate the fun.

Taking in the View

So excited!

There were telescopes placed about every ten feet around the top of the Space Needle. Emily insisted on taking in the sights from every single one! I'm not quite sure how many there were but by the time she was finished...I was exhausted.

My little tourist!

One of the many beautiful views.






Next, we moved on to the Seattle Science Center. This place was amazing. The girls were so excited to run around and play. They had a lot of fun playing with Uncle Ariel and Aunt Kassi.

She didn't know what to do first! Everything was so exciting! Lucky for her, Ariel was there to show her the good stuff.

Samantha loved this giant chess board. Two little boys were playing at the time and were very patient when she kept moving their pieces.

Notice the cute little creature in the bottom left hand side of this photo.

This was a giant periscope that went up through the ceiling and gave you a 360 degree view of the city.

Buddies

The giant chair

Emily was spent by the end of the afternoon. Luckily she had a comfortable ride home.

We had such a fun time in Washington. We had no schedule, no plans. It was great. We don't really get to take vacations, and with Corey leaving so soon, it was a much needed break. It was nice to be able to relax with Ariel and Kassi. We don't get to see them nearly as much as we would like. Hopefully it will be a trip that we will be able to repeat again this year.