Looking Forward

To seeing this smile.

To watching someone else workout.

To their daddy.

To your wonder at their wonder.

To Saturday mornings.

To family outings.

To having us all together

(yeah, we're actually all six there in that photo.)

To celebrations.

To having you home.

Update from Iraq

Sometimes, we're reminded that this is just sad business.

"Yea, just a bad day. We had machinegun round mis-seat a round and blow brass into one of our gunner's legs this morning so I have been working with that. The worse thing is that it was due to truck commander screwing up. So I have been up since untangling that. Found out LTC Kaki* was killed in 2006 yesterday from Tomberlin. That sucks. It been a long day and a half with another about 24 to go with end of month suspenses and getting the Article 15 compiled with legal to frag the truck commander. So no, I am in a pretty grim mood. I'll call later on."

*LTC Kaki was a Kurdish commander that Patric was close to during his 2004-2005 deployment to Iraq and the inspiration for the deployment mustache.

Weekend Monsoon Season

Wherein we smear lotion on the walls.

And spread-out.

And mess up this room,

in reaction to me cleaning up this room.

So I think we'll maybe ditch this place.

Can't decide. I like that I can't decide--it means I don't have to obsess for 2 weeks prior every time we consider going somewhere.

Not To Me

Not identical.

Or I need some time away.

My Intellectuals

Smart Observation:

When Alida bonked her head on her granddad's swing at Easter, and granddad knew she was just fine. They had the following conversation:

Grandad: "Alida. Don't hurt the swing."

(considering)

Alida: "That's not funny grandpa."

Smart Alec

"No mommy, I'm in charge."

Smarty Pants:

"My booty is on your lap mommy!"


Smart
"When daddy is here there are 6 of us. But he isn't here, so that makes 5 mommy. Right?"

Hard To Believe

There was no Saturday outing because it RAINED, a lot.

They are actually not playing in the sand; they're playing in the water...

Sunday however, there was a bit of a ladies day at my house that I was not invited to.

Emily and Jennifer came over to watch the girls for a couple of hours and

Nanny Jenny and Anna came over to fold my kids laundry.

This freed me up to take the boys to a movie. This was the first time I've ever done this, and it was so fun to have an afternoon with them.

Thank you.

And I'm pretty sure I can guess what is happening above--Alida is either a dog or a cat and Elaine is leading her around by the collar. This is the new game. Recently they've thrown horse in to the mix, but it usually isn't as subdued when they are neighing.

I think the ladies had a great time.

My Backyard

Eclectic

A Date, And It's a Good One

Subject: What Their Father Loves to Do Most

(hanging out with the kids)


is what I will be doing July 16. Just thought you would like to know. :)


Have a lovely day,

CPT PATRIC STUBER
GUNSLINGER 6

The republic was not established by cowards, and cowards will not preserve it. —Elmer Davis

I'm Pretty Sure

I never taught her patrol technique.

I guess it's innate or one of the joys of having a brother.

It's Hard

To be beautiful when you have a scab under your nose and a string of blood across your face.

Or when you have a string of drool falling from your mouth.

The Saturday Outing: The Zoo

Saturday morning we met JB at the zoo.

We ate lunch at the playground.

We picked flowers weeds in an empty spot.

We ran around in the water.

We climbed on the display.



JB really thinks she is going to get a picture of the five of us together--her personal mission.

And although I'm not even sure we looked at an animal other than an aardvark right at the beginning, the grounds of the zoo were lovely and it did the trick--naptime right there in the middle of the floor when we got home.

Bedtime Conversation

"Mommy, what are we doing on Saturday?"

"Um, I don't know," I said a bit gleefully.

Little Ladies

Patric's observation when I sent him this picture was to note first how beautiful his little girl was and then note how tall she's gotten in the time he's been away.

My observation was first, where is her other glove? and second where is her other leg?

Thank you grandma Montana for the beautiful spring dresses that made them break out into a chorus of "I am a princess!" (large emphasis on "-ess," which turned into nearly shrieking to the world their humble status as nobility.)

Five Years Ago Today

I had no idea the turn my life was about to take.

(Yes. I try to determine which is Benjamin and which is Nicholas on a regular basis.)

The Home-Made Slip-N-Slide

Not being one to puncture imagination, I watched for a few minutes before I figured this scene out while taking a break from cleaning the laundry room Sunday afternoon.

They were like ants marching back and forth from bathroom to storm door all in different states of dress, church clothes, pajamas, no clothes.

Then I watched Alida wipe-out with her hairbrush in hand in her fervor to make it to the bathroom before her brother . She spun out like a cartoon character and smashed into the open bathroom door. She announced to all that she had slipped and hoped up, continuing on with her work.

And when they finally explained that they were using the wet hairbrushes to clean the door, I wondered who I was to stop this sudden outbreak of cleanliness. So I put down some towels to mop up their path and went on about my business, just as they did.

The Saturday Outing: Breakfast of Champions

There's nothing like having brunch with friends, and then chasing a baby goat around the yard.

Particularly when the adults help you catch it.

Or, there's nothing like just running around the yard in the beautiful weather.

Then we went home and had some serious spring cleaning, which is still very much underway.

Update from Iraq: Poor, Poor Patric

Food.

I guess you only get a pepper ring if you are first in line.

More food.
The time it would take the brood to pick out which one boggles my mind.



Food.
No cereal crisis here.

Where to eat your food.

Plenty of seating.

Food.

Oh to have his metabolism.

This is breakfast I think.