Fort Bragg vs. Boston

Waking up at 06:15 to the sound of bugle First Call being played over speakers.
Waking up at 6:15am to the guys taking out the trash and clanking bottles and bags as they do it, right outside my window.

Speed limit 15 mph through residential areas, go any faster and the MPs will get ya.
Speed limit 25 mph through most residential areas, but most people go faster.

Waiting an extra second once your light turns green to make sure it's safe.
Getting honked at if you don't floor it the minute your light turns green.

The country with yards for kids to run around.
The city with parks for kids to run around.

Going to bed at 22:45 to bugle Call to Quarters being played over speakers.
Going to bed at 10:45 pm to firetruck sirens and loud firetruck honks as they speed down the street.

1 Hospital.
More hospitals than what I can count on using two hands.

Saying "Yes Ma'am" or "No Sir" to be polite.
...hmm, are Bostonian's polite?

Going to the PX for tax free shopping.
Going up to New Hampshire for tax free shopping.

Men in uniforms with southern accents.
Boys in over sized jeans and shirts with the rough Brockton accents.

Having to show your ID and be in the company of a military ID holder or having to exit your vehicle so rent-a-cops can do a thorough car inspection in order to get on post.
Having to show your ID at the airport and still risk getting thoroughly searched by TSA to get on an airplane.

Tearful Goodbye

Let me just say, traveling when you feel like you are going to throw up sucks! Thankfully I had soda crackers in my bag to help settle my stomach. While RDU does not have free WiFi (boo!), I don't mind this airport because I never have to wait to check my bags or to go through security. And NO full body scanners either! I was complimented on how fast I was at getting put together after going through security, I have a routine down. First bin, my purse and shoes so I can put them on while waiting for the next bin. Second bin, laptop in its case, so when last bag comes out I can put it back in. Last, my bag which I usually put my jacket in. Makes grabbing my stuff that much quicker. Flight was a little early pushing back from the gate, not what I'm used to when I fly JetBlue. Of course, waited a while for my checked bag in BOS and the blue line, but couldn't believe my luck when it came to catching my line...it was the first train to come after getting off the blue line, a rare happening. You know you travel too much when you recognize the same guys riding the shuttle bus from the airport to the train station. I tend to fly on the same flight number when I go down south, which means same times. The babies cried and threw a fit when Auntie Lorien had to get out of the car this afternoon. I love the babies and hope they and my sister are cleared to fly home for Christmas. It was nice to see my mom again, despite the circumstances. Now, all I have to do is get well in time to fly home next month.

A Child's Love

The kids playing on the train tracks with the train we made out of boxes.

A severe sore throat. A horrible night's sleep with major stomach pains. Waking up to giggles and the little one jumping in his crib, wishing I could sleep. Feeding the babies, changing their stinky diapers, stepping in to stop the fighting. Putting them down for a nap and falling asleep myself for a few hours. Welcome to motherhood. So today was a ok day. I feel like shit, but still had a picnic lunch with the babies again. Still read stories and rubbed their backs. While my sister is on partial bed rest, I've had to step in to carry the kids and lift anything heavy. I am ready to get home so I can take care of myself (I've been sick for a month with 3 different things), but I am going to miss holding my niece after she wakes up from a nap wanting only her Auntie Lorien and having my nephew tell me "poop poop in potty" letting me know he has to go (which btw he did go in the potty tonight even though I have not been training him). My last night here and happy to have Grammie take over. My nephew laid on the couch with me for about an hour before I took him upstairs to go to bed. The love of a child is the greatest thing in the world, making up for all exhaustion I feel. I'm going to miss the babies. And to all you moms out there, you have the hardest job out there (and if you don't think so, then you are doing something wrong). This time tomorrow I'll be back to reality, getting ready for work and all the stuff I have waiting back for me in Boston. Oh, and yes, even though I didn't work today, today is my official 1 year anniversary working at Harvard Medical School...time sure does fly as it does not feel like a year.

Play Time

Due to issues, I was unable to post a photo, finally got to a computer to post with photo. Also, I typed this blog all on my phone. This is a first.

Today I had the babies all to myself while my sister was admitted to th ER. I fed them, I changed them. We played kickball outside, drew chalk pictures on the cement, including rail road tracks for our boxed trains we made out of diaper boxes. For lunch we had mac n cheese picnic style. I was able to get my insomniac niece down for a nap- a rare occasion. The kids had fun, and I succeeded in keeping them so busy that they didn't seem to notice that their mommy wasn't home. I love these kids, but they are tiring. A lot going on here and am glad my mom was able to get pulled from her trip and fly in tonight on an emergency pass. Tomorrow will be another day with the kids to myself. I tell ya Auntie L is not ready to be a mom...this is great birth control.

O Christmas Tree

Today we decorated the Christmas tree while listening to the holiday music station on TV. The kids were pretty good about the whole decorating thing, though my nephew kept calling the plastic ornaments balls and bouncing them on the floor. It looks pretty good and there are others on post that have their trees up and decorated. We also saw some Christmas lights on outside some people's houses. It's the most wonderful time of the year. I am looking forward to getting a tree and decorations from one of my friends so I can start decorating my apartment.

Don't Cry Over Spilled Wine

Today was a day full of laughter. Kids say and do the funniest things. It's funny how throughout the day I draft my blog in my head and take photos thinking I'll use them for the day's blog, only by the time I actually sit down to write something else has happened and the earlier ideas don't make it into the blog. I guess I have a better understanding of the news field, with stories making the back page that, on a slow day, may have made it to the front, below the fold part of the newspaper. Anyway, I helped arrange my sister's downstairs to make it feel more homey and open and then helped her get the Christmas stuff out, while listening to Christmas music. I can't believe stores even have "black Friday" sales this weekend! It's coming early this year. Anyway, so to the laughter. So, lets see. Nephew and an apple. My sister gave him an apple to eat whole with the skin on. We were ordering pizza and it was really quiet, so we thought that he had gone upstairs. Nope. He was in the living room, "making a mess" as he said while attempting to eat the apples. In other words, he got pieces of apples all over the floor and part of the couch. We ordered the pizza and we had this fiasco with the bread sticks. They ended up delivering them separately from our pizza delivery order. Then, while my sister and I were chatting and eating the said bread sticks on the couch, my nephew picked up my full glass of red wine. All of a sudden... I was wet, the couch was wet and the side table the glass was sitting on was wet. He probably picked it up to either try some thinking it was juice or to give it to his Auntie Lorien, but grabbing it by the stem and making the glass top heavy, he tipped and spilled it. I busted up laughing and just sat there while my sister was running to find a towel. I wasn't worried about staining the couch since one of my drunk friends had spilled red wine on my ex-roommate's couch and we were able to get it out using baking soda and a vacuum- she never found out. Auntie Lorien will have to start using a sippy cup to prevent accidents like this (or just not drink wine while the babies are up). Then, my niece got her fingers slammed in the door and we had to ice them. Of course, our family uses frozen peas or in tonight's pack... frozen peas and carrots. After icing the fingers, we just laid on the bed and watched TV in my sister's room. She was awfully quiet, and we looked over to find that my niece had opened the bag of peas and carrots and started eating them before playing on the bed with the open bag (the Princess and the Pea came to mind). Hilarious. Then, an hour later, watching another show, I looked over to find my niece liking the walls like the kids in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory when they are licking the flavored wallpaper. Haha... 30 minutes later she said she was hungry. This may be a case where you had to be here to find the humor in all of tonight's happenings, but man, my throat hurts from laughing so much (at least, I hope it's from that and not a sign I'm coming down with strep throat)! What a day, can't wait to see what happens tomorrow.

Operation Potty Training: Day 1

I'm exhausted. Waking up every 3 hours because my niece needs milk (it's like a newborn schedule) and not getting home until past midnight last night, makes Auntie L one tired person. I got to spend some one-on-one time with my nephew this morning while my niece was at the ENT. She has strep throat again but also has to get tubes put in next week for her ears. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to commence Operation Potty Training considering my niece is sick, but after giving my niece and nephew their "presents" (underwear) I decided I'd give it a try. They both liked their undies, my nephew actually had to take his Thomas the Train undies with him to bed and once he got up from his nap, I had to put not one but two pairs on top of his diaper, otherwise he would throw a fit. My niece wore her Tinkerbell panties for a little over two hours and went in the potty once, having one accident only because Auntie L was fixing dinner and she didn't quite make it. She did really well considering not feeling well and this being her first time in big girl panties. I had a lot of bonding time with both of them today. I'm exhausted, and have no idea how my sister (pregnant with another) can do this every day with no help. Fortunately, she was able to get a nap in while I played for over an hour with my niece with Play-Doh (which is now called "poop" thanks to my sister pointing out the shape machine that pushes out Play-Doh in long logs, had my niece cracking up and got it on film to send to my bro-in-law in Afghanistan). By 6:30, I was ready for bed. I put my niece down and got her to sleep, so now only my nephew is up. After he goes down, I'm hitting the couch myself, no energy for staying up to watch any TV shows, especially since I'm still not 100% healthy myself and my eyes are killing me. So, I'm counting today's mission a success.