End of the year...

I have a 2nd grader and Kindergartener, now! Wow! Insert everything cliche about how they grow up so fast, here!

All I want for 2nd grade is my two front teeth! Ava lost her 4th tooth at school yesterday!

My Kindergartener and my 2nd Grader! 

I spent the day with the girls at their schools. First was Ava, she had a game day! Twister, Chutes and Ladders, Heads up 7up (that was always my favorite!), and so on! Ava LOVED that I was there! She still likes me coming up to school and having lunch with her as well as coming to volunteer in the classroom. Hopefully that lasts for a while. The only thing I don't like...how all the little kids try to huddle around me during lunch. My lunch was coughed on at least 15 times and then a boy from her class threw up! If I end up sick, again...we'll see if I ever volunteer in the classroom again! Kidding, maybe!

Layla had her Preschool graduation, today. Insert next cliche remark, now. But she's my baby! I have to, she's growing up way too freakin fast! We weren't going to start her in Kindergarten next year, we didn't think she was ready. But, her teacher thinks she is ready and will surprise us, so we registered her and decided it would be better for her to repeat Kindergarten than another year of pre-k. I'm just so protective over her, mostly I don't think I'm ready for her to start "real" school...but she is so excited! She's not a baby anymore!

Layla's PreK class...it was "dress like your favorite character" day!

I wish I could go back a few years and do it all over again, that or wish I would have never tied my tubes so I could do it all over again!

I get so emotional about the girls. Walking out of Layla's classroom, I told her "this is the last time you will walk out of here, you are now in kindergarten." And then I started crying. And then the same with Ava...walking out of her school, "this is the last time you will walk out this door as a first grader!" And I started choking back the tears. My babies. Ugh, stupid cliches but it's so true. I don't like it!

My big girl!

I warned their teachers they would be getting something homemade from pinterest and the girls and I settled on these! I think they turned out great! Their teachers loved them! I'm sure they would have loved a pedicure more, but I don't have that kind of money to spend on 4 teachers!

It's summer, but no rest for us for at least 5 days! Tomorrow Mabel has a vet appt...she gets her rabies shot and microchipped...on Monday, I get to take those records to base housing and we will get our actual number on the waiting list. So, as long as they don't offer us a house on Monday, very unlikely...we are leaving for Texas early Tuesday morning and will be there early Wednesday morning. Moving to the East Coast doesn't cut down on any time driving...and of course, we are driving straight through...it's just what we do! Hopefully Mabel is up for that!

Notice how BIG Mabel's paw is!

So yeah, on Wednesday, we will be "home"!

And in other big news! Jason has an estimated date that he will be HOME BY! It is in September but I'm not going to share it publicly, obviously! It will probably change, but it's still 2 months earlier than expected! We are two months into the deployment and so far it has flown by. Being busy and on the go really helps! Too bad it's not the same for Jason, his days are dragging and he's having a hard time sleeping...he says it's just too hot! I wish there was a way I could make it better for him...but I can't.

So, maybe I will write on Monday, maybe I won't! ha ha. Maybe I'll write once we are in Rockport. We shall see! I'll leave you with a picture of Jason and I our Senior year in high school. An old friend found this...it was at least a year before we even started dating...he liked me sometimes...most of the time, back then...he just tolerated me! There will be many more pictures like this to come, soon! We have our high school reunion at the end of this month!

I wish I appreciated eyebrows back then. Cringe!

Nicole Does the Happy Dance!

I have been bad about writing! Once dinner is over and the kitchen is cleaned, our bedtime routine starts. Yes, OUR bedtime routine. I find myself going to bed when the girls do these days. So at 7, when the girls are brushing their teeth, I am washing my face. While the girls are in bed reading, I am getting coffee ready for the morning and thinking about what I'm going to make for breakfast. (I am proud to say I get up every morning and make the girls something different for breakfast, everyday. I have not bought a box of cereal or pop tarts in 2 months! All homemade!) Then, I put the girls to bed at 7:30, I usually make myself popcorn and get into bed myself. Pitiful, I know. I just have no reason to stay up! Especially with summer programming on TV, it sucks!

But last night, I have not done this since I was in college, well, I am in college right now, but I haven't done it since I was in college the first time, you know...the time that I flunked out. ha ha!

I stayed up last night, drinking coffee (that was always a staple before, although I never actually turned in my assignments because I never went to class!), writing an outline for a research paper! When I put the girls to bed at 730, I sat at the table and started to research sources and started taking notes. ME! Granted I have been back in school for a year and a half now...I have never stayed up LATE doing school...I always get it done during the day. But I had a busy day yesterday and I was just going to accept a late grade and do it today. But I didn't...I stayed up until 1130 last night, it was due at midnight...I turned in my 10 page outline and rocked it...at least I hope. I went to bed so accomplished but then reality hit when I realized I wasn't going to sleep any time soon...too much coffee. My body can't handle late nights anymore because I'm an early riser! My alarm goes off at 5 every morning!

Did I mention I have the crud, too! You know...the ickiness that the girls had before...I have it now. So accomplishing last night, while being sick...that was a big thing. My nature is to put off school when I'm tired...I have to keep up my Dean's List appearance! After all, Buppa said hell froze over when I made it for the first time...better keep freezing hell!

Big news...well not to everyone else, but to us. Although Jason doesn't know yet...but he's going to be so excited! We are FINALLY moving out of this rental house nightmare! I went to base yesterday and we are now on the wait list for base housing. Single family houses...not attached townhouses like before! We will have a backyard...600 more sq ft than we have now...a huge kitchen, family room AND living room AND a screened in porch...oh and a two car garage. Goodbye shitty ass house we live in now.

I could not be more excited! Well I could...if we were moving back home to OUR house! I don't know when we will be moving, the wait list for the houses we want is a 1-3 month wait. Ideally, I would like to be in by the end of August so that the girls can start school in the new school, but I will take what I can get. I never really thought I would be excited about moving back onto base, but we are going to be in SNCO housing, so we don't have to mess with the Jr. Marines and their families which is a big plus, they like to play beer pong in their garages until all hours! ha.

The best part about moving onto base is that we will only be 10 minutes from Jason's work and 5 minutes from the girl's school! Instead of Jason driving 45 minutes to an hour to work...and driving the girls to school takes 20 minutes one way! I am sad to leave the area we are in now...kind of. I like being in the rural area...but I HATE having to drive so far to get to anything! We are going to save at least 200 bucks a month moving on to base and being in town! Not to mention lawn care is free...so that's another 80 bucks a month we will save! The savings just keep adding up and I don't know why we didn't go there in the first place!

Not to mention, the beach, the beautiful beach that reminds me of Port A is just 15 minutes down the street from us. It's not as close as the beach when we lived on Pendleton...but in my opinion, this beach is much better. Much more family friendly and kid friendly. The girls aren't scared to go in the water and it's not freezing cold! They even have a pet beach...something Pendleton didn't have! I can't wait to take the dogs! Although that's something I will have to tackle once Jason comes home! Two girls, two great danes at the beach with one mommy...disaster waiting to happen!

We enjoyed our first beach day this past weekend and I was very impressed, while we were driving through base going to the beach, the girls and I talked about moving there and essentially made up our minds. More on that after the beach pics!

Back to moving to base...the girls (mainly Ava) has to change schools again! Bless her heart, this will be her 5th school! She will only be in 2nd grade! But I wanted to know what she thought about it and starting or transferring to a new school, yet again. Surprisingly, she is all in. Aside from being disappointed she won't be able to be a peer mediator, she is very excited! (She was chosen to be a peer mediator, since 2nd grade is the highest grade in her primary school here, her job is to teach other students how to resolve problems without fighting and getting upset, she has been in training for this for the past 2 months.) I'm sad to have to take her away from that special role, but all around, I know we will all be happier. The girls are excited that the school is within walking distance...so that means they get to ride their bikes to school! No more driving 20 minutes there and then 20 minutes back! Happy girls and happy mom equals a happy family!

Finally, we are leaving for Texas in just a little over a week. We will be "home" for at least six weeks, unless we have to come home early because there is a house ready for us. The girls are so excited about coming "home" and seeing everyone! Ava is already making her own plans! Sha'Ma, watch out...McDonald's and Chuck E Cheese are on her list for you!