Employed!

So I had a job interview last week and really felt like things went well, although it was only a ten minute interview. I totally felt prepared for anything, but as it turned out, I way over-did it! The principal told me he would be calling whoever he chose for the job on Tuesday of last week. If you didn't get chosen, you would get a letter in the mail in a few days thanking you for your time. So...I didn't get a call on Tuesday and was pretty bummed about it.

You can imagine my surprise when I get a call from the district office this morning informing me that I had been recommended for the job! I thought maybe she was mistaken (and in all honesty, I'm still not positive she wasn't), but even still, she told me that they are writing up my contract and it should be ready in the next day or so! Woo Hoo! What a load off!

Now, I've got a week or two to start collecting supplies (and mooching off of my teacher friends/cousins) and get my classroom ready for school to start on the 17th! I'm getting nervous!

In other news, I almost went into cardiac arrest 2 weeks ago, when Jac fell into my parent's garden pond. Kimberly and I were trying to clean up some glass off of the patio (thanks to another toddler fiasco) when I just so happened to turn around and see Jac floating in the pond. I jumped up and ran like the wind to scoop him out. Poor baby, he was clinging to a rock on the edge of the pool. His head was above the water, but he had gone under because his hair was all wet. He was wearing his brand new tennis shoes that were now drenched and had algea scuff marks on the toe. I pulled him out and took off all of his clothes. He cried for all of 30 seconds and didn't even cough once. I think he may have held his breath when he fell in (thanks YMCA). He's a tough little guy, but it really made me realize how fragile children are. You can't look away from them even for a minute. I'm thinking of investing in a large cage.

Speaking of drowning in the water, Kimberly was in the pool with Penn and Samantha last week. Oddly enough, Jac has decided that he's scared to death of pools of water when adults are near, but makes a mad dash toward the pond and pool when he thinks no one is looking. So, Jac was playing with the outside toys, chasing Kory around, etc. We were so proud of Penn. He went under the water (and held his breath) and went all the way to the bottom (2ft) of the pool and came back up. We were super excited at his amazing feat and cheered like he had just done a backflip. All of a sudden, we saw what he went down to the bottom to get...MY BLACKBERRY!!! Apparently, Jac though it would be pretty fun to see if a cell phone will sink or float (he's the inquisitive type). FYI...they sink. Penn actually saved my phone from the dark abyss that is the bottom of the pool. I ran inside and tore the phone apart, dried it off, and threw it in a ziploc bag with Rice-A-Roni (we had no plain rice) to help draw the moisture out. I left it there overnight. Later, Pack took it apart and vacuumed out some more moisture from the inside. All of our efforts paid off and it's still working, thank goodness. I've been using Cam's phone this past week, because I want to be postive it's going to work for me. Maybe God's trying to teache me not to be so materialistic? Oh how I love my phone!

Things with Cam have been pretty good lately. Their Internet hasn't been going out so much and we've been able to talk and e-mail pretty regularly. Since Saturday was August 1, I can now say that Cam will be home next month. It's been pretty tough without him lately. We just celebrated our anniversary on July 22. Well...maybe celebrated isn't the right word. We'll say....OBSERVED (how romantic...right?). We'll be "celebrating" come September! I sent him a heartfelt care package filled with granola bars, and flavored powder for bottled water (classic), and he sent me a beautiful bouquet of roses and a letter. He found out that most of the people he works with are actually going to get to come home about a month early, but he has to stay behind and help out Aviation Ordinance. I'm getting really excited and we've got lots of stuff planned for when he gets home. Hopefully, I won't be too distracted at my new job! :)

I don't have any idea how many people care about what's going on in my life, or read my blog (if anyone), but if you're one of those troopers, I just want to say thanks. Your friendship, prayers, advise, and support mean so much to me. If nothing else, getting things out there, at least helps me to make sense of things. That was a little random, but it had to be said. :)

I'm gonna hit the sack tonight, before I start typing crazy stuff out of sheer exhaustion. I'll leave you with a pic, I call "Happiness." :)

Follow-Up

Despite my accident, and a girl collapsing in the middle...I PASSED THE PLT! Now' I've just gotta wait for a call from the district and hopefully an interview. Whether I get a job for next year or not, at least I've got my license (well, technically...I don't actually have a license yet) and I'm available and capable to be employed! Yay!

I Did It!

So, the plan was for me to become a runner. I've never been so motivated to do something in my whole life, and I knew that if I didn't start now, I probably never would. Here's the problem. I'm married to a super athletic, marathon runner.

Cam started running about the time I got pregnant. I think he can thank me for that. I informed him shortly after finding out I was going to be packin on the pounds that typically, the man gains as much if not more weight than the woman does when she's pregnant. I think it really freaked him out, because after that, he started up. He ran for well over a hundred , maybe two hundred days (I don't know the exact number, but he does) consecutively. He even went running when he was spending the week with me in the hospital when Jac was born. He was so motivated, that he signed up to run a marathon, before he'd ever even run a 5K, 10K or half-marathon. In February of last year...he did it!

After I started to get back to my normal self, I tried to run, but I just couldn't do it. I hated running and it depressed me to know that I could never keep up with Cam (speed or distance). I ran out of breath, I tripped, and my body ached. When Cam left for Iraq, I promised myself that I would try to start and set a goal to run a 5K with Cam when he got home. I joined the Y and have been going several times a week to work out and "train" (Keep in mind I'm using that word very loosely). I've even been documenting my speed, distance, and weight (and am very proud to say that I've lost no weight since the beginning of my expedition..so sad) in a notepad everyday to keep me accountable. I try to run a little harder and a little better everyday and motivate my self by thinking of my hunk running in triple digit temps, in the sand. If he can do it there, certainly I can torture myself for 40 minutes in an AC gym on a treadmill, while I watch TV.

Last week, when I talked to Cam, he mentioned that he would be running a 10K in Iraq on the fourth. I half jokingly mentioned that I could run the Spirit of Florence 5K at Timrod Park with him...how cute! LOL! Somehow he convinced me to do it. Yesterday was the big day. Cam talked me into it...so I talked Kimberly (and Jude) into it too. We did it though. I was so excited that I actually finished it...and in only 31 minutes (my best time so far!). Kimberly put those walkers to shame by finishing 1st place female walkers overall and she was pushing a stroller the whole time...not an easy feat! I got 3rd place for my age group...not too impressive, but at least I've got something to show for it!

Later, Cam asked me if I had fun...running???...seriously???? I'm trying to enjoy running, but the fact is, I don't. Not too worry though, I've still got almost 3 months to help myself love it more and become a running stud like my hubby. Maybe this post will hold me to my word. I guess we'll have to wait and see!

Doctor Visit

So, I took Jac back to the doctor yesterday, because he's still pulling on his ears on occasion. I was also a little concerned because he hasn't been eating like he normally does, he's had a little cold, and he's had diarrhea off and on for the past 2 months or so. I know it's gross, but I worry about him staying hydrated. Before, I kinda thought it was due to the antibiotic he was taking for the first and second ear infections, or maybe it was the fresh fruits and veggies he was eating. He never acts like his stomach bothers him, only the diaper rash he gets because of it. After a nervous wait (trying to keep him entertained without a temper tantrum), 1 cup juice, 1 pack of smarties, 2 suckers, and countless toys, we finally got to see the doctor. He told me that one of Jac's ears looked red and the other looked ok. He was concerned about the upset stomach and ordered a stool test (ew) to make sure he didn't get a separate infection caused by the first antibiotic. We did the test yesterday (he had the humungo "poo blowout" while I was at the gym and mom and dad had to bottle it up...hahahaha...perfect timing) and turned it in this morning. I hope that he doesn't have another infection, but I also hope we can find out the cause of his upset stomachs. Anyhow, he slept until almost 8:30 this morning (and that NEVER happens) and was feeling great. Hopefully we'll nip it in the bud this time!

Twitter-ish

Bought a new bumper for the pick-up I rear-ended. SUCKS!

I'm being eaten alive by mosquitoes. I'm a compulsive bite-counter, and I've totally lost count. I will say that I got 3 bites from the time I exited my car until I entered the house.

Toys-R-Us has the most awesome reusable shopping bags/gift bags for only 1.49. If only I could remember to take them to the store with me.

While gaining some skin pigmentation, Jac's losing the teeny bit of hair color he had. At least he can pull it off and still look cool.

Jon and Kate + 8...are we really surprised? We all saw it coming. I'd be lying if I didn't say I was hoping their "big announcement" was that she's pregnant. LOL

Cam's finally got a "tentative" date of return...Sept. 25th. I can start my countdown finally!

People say, "Never wake a sleeping baby." Sometimes they're just too cute and you just want to hold them. Fight it...my little sleeping angel turns into the spawn of satan when I wake him "before his time."

The Splash Pad is awesome!

I'm unofficially training to run a 5k with Cam (maybe not "with him" but at least at the same time) when he gets home.

I really miss going to a restaurant without a screaming toddler. I guess learning to walk has totally spoiled eating out for us for the next little bit. Let's hope this is a quick phase.

We're really loving our cheapo 2ft pool from Dollar General. Especially after we put the kiddos down for a nap!

I hope you enjoyed reading these little snippets of my life. That's all I can think of for now!

This was the pic I sent to Cam for Father's Day. I didn't want to post for the world to see before Cam got to see it in person. He's so stinkin cute!

Long Time, No Post

Yeah, I know I'm slack. You'd think with all these extra hours I'm having not working and all, I'd have tons of time to write. WRONG! Here's how my summer has been going so far.

On normal mornings, Jac wakes up at about 6:15 or 6:30 (on mornings where we HAVE to get up early, I usually have to wake him up at 7:30 ish...go figure). Anyhow, after wake up time, it's breakfast and a cartoon or two. Then we usually hop in the shower, get dressed, hit the town for errands, grab a bite to eat for lunch, come home for a nap, swim lessons at 4, home for supper, bath if necessary, and finally hit the rack around 8:30 ish.

Thankfully, tomorrow is our last day of swimming class for a while. Jac and Penn have been doing awesome (except for the one day...I won't go into detail about it, but it was bad). Today, Penn looked like he was about to take off all by himself! Jac likes to chill with the armies on and can even balance himself unassisted. They're learning to kick and paddle. Penn is holding his breath when he goes under, but Jac sticks out his tongue...we're workin on it. Seriously though, these kids LOVE the water and we try to go to the pool every chance we get!

Last Wednesday, I got to go to Jacksonville and see my former students and co-workers on their last day of school. I'm so glad I got the opportunity to go back and that I left on good terms. The kids were all so glad to see me, and I was happy to see them. I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder.

Then on Friday night, I was starting to get nervous about that dumb PLT test I had to sign up to take on Saturday. I was on my way to Walgreen's to pick up a prescription diaper cream for Jac when I got distracted and rear-ended the truck in front of me. The people were really nice about it and Dad came out to do the talkin and worked out a deal with them to get their car fixed. My car will have to be put on the waiting list I guess. There goes my (near) perfect driving record. Well, according to the insurance company and the Highway Department, it's still perfect! :)

So, I'm sure you can imagine how completely dreary I felt about starting on this sour note and having to take the test, but I shrugged it off and headed to FMU early Saturday morning, trying to be optimistic. I really wanted to focus on managing my time, because a lot of the people I talk to that have failed the test, said that they didn't finish it. It is a 2 hour timed test. Well I focused the best I could and got started. About 15 minutes into the test, they girl sitting 2 rows next to me collapsed and fell out of her seat! We weren't sure what to do. For most of us, we didn't want to stand up and gawk, but we didn't know what to do to help. I could see people kinda freak out on the inside. We were all worried and concerned for her, but at the same time, they didn't stop the test! Finally, after about 5 to 10 scary/awkward minutes, on of the proctors ran in the room and yelled for us to stop working and told us that people were coming to help. After they got the situation under control, we were given time to collect ourselves and then we started testing again. I have no idea how I did, but I did finish it. I guess I'll know more in about a month. I'll let you know if I pass it; if I fail, I'll probably just avoid the topic all together. HA!

Yesterday, we went on our first excursion to the zoo in Columbia with our church. Our cousins, Brandon and Andrew, hung out with us for the day. We were so glad they were there to help chase down babies. They're really good kids and we hope that we didn't spoil their day having to hang out with the baby group. Our little ones were troopers. They really loved seeing all the animals and wanted to get out and look (no surprise there). We spent about 5 hours there and they really didn't fuss much at all. At the end of the trip, the moms got Dippin Dots, while the boys picked out a prize from the shop. Penn chose "the Big Bad Wolf" (I think it's a meerkat) and Jac fell in love with a rubber snake (that's actually quite painful when he whips you in the legs with it). All in all, a fun day, especially the ride home where they both slept the whole way back.

Cam's doing same as usual...boring I know...he feels the same way. He was kinda bummed last week because he found out that he was probably going to have to get a room mate. Since he has been in Iraq and because he is a Sgt., he's had a room all to himself. Earlier this week he found out that one of his friends from Lejeune who had been stationed in Al Asad was coming to TQ with him. Now, he's actally pretty excited about sharing his room. He knows this guy pretty well and maybe now, he'll have someone to keep him company. He's also been training for MCMAPS (the Marine Corps martial arts program). He's working on his green belt and will finish that in a couple of weeks. He's hoping to earn a black belt before he gets out of the military next April. Hopefully, they'll let him go on a black belt course when he gets back to Lejeune. I'm so proud of my motivated Marine (you know it's true, Cam)!

Me? I'm alright. My supposedly mundane day-to-day life, is alot like a roller coaster ride. I go through so many emotions in one day. Loneliness, exhaustion, excitement, happiness, and nostalgic just to name a few. Sometimes, I try to stay so busy that I won't have time time even think about the deployment and how much I miss him. We're getting so close to the 4 month mark and it isn't getting any easier. I'm just getting antsy and September seems like an eternity away!

I bought a new Sara Groves cd last week and remembered how much I love her music. I can always relate to her songs. So I'm gonna close with these lyrics from the song "Undone" (from The Other Side of Something), because I can't come up with the right words to describe how I feel on my own. I hope you understand.

Baby will you help me get undone?

I don't even remember how I got this on.

I started out pretending

Now I don't recognize myself

And I could use a little help.

You have no pretenses

All your walls are fences

I can see right through

You have no two faces

You know where our place is

and that's why I need you

Oh baby

Baby will you help me get undone

I truly believe you are the only one

Who will be the best reminder of

Where I am coming from

So if you'll help me now

I want to get undone

P.S. Sorry for the long post (it's what you get when I wait weeks between posts!)

My Cutie

Video #1: Jac loves to splash around in puddles. This one was at church. Notice how Pack so wrecklessly drives off while my son is unattended in a dangerous parking lot!

Video #2: My big boy can climb up and slide down the slide at Mrs. G's house all by himself! What happened to my little baby?