Today was mandatory fun day otherwise known as "family day" at drill. It was so well done I'm actually thrilled to say I was there with Joe in the roll of spouse-with-kids (and dog) since I'm still on maternity leave - even though I was hanging out at drill yesterday too with my photographer Lincoln and sweet reindeer-clad Emi.
It was a 10am report time and we live about an hour away so we got up, got dressed, got in the car and left all in less than an hour. Joe bought breakfast at Bashas and we ate on the way while listening to 99.9FM the all Christmas music station. I do love Pandora so, but my phone is dying SO fast on the new iPhone OS that I needed to save the battery - don't worry, it still died 4 pictures into the festivities. Boo you iPhone OS.
There was good food, good music, lots of kids, swings, two play structures, and two bouncy castles. Then Home Depot's kids workshop came out with a project, Gilbert fire brought a fire truck that Lincoln played in and "drove", then Gilbert police escorted Santa in a SWAT vehicle and the kids got presents (ones that we each secretly contributed earlier in the morning). Lincoln knew right away that it was Santa sticking out the top of the vehicle but he is scared this year and wouldn't go up by himself when he heard his name. All in all an amazingly well organized family day. KUDOS to the planners.
One of our fellow soldiers who was saying his good-byes to the unit told us in his farewell the story of how his parents, who were musicians, escaped communist Romania to come to America and be free. His parents told him that whenever he got the chance to to "tell our story" because the stories are getting lost and many people in America don't know what Freedom means. It was a very moving story and he told it well. It was good to hear and made me appreciate my family and all that I have even in the midst of financial tightness and being far from extended family.
Lincoln was playing the sand at the end and I made the deal that I'd go load up Emi and the car and when I was done we'd throw Lincoln in and go home. I was all done and had come back to get him and when we said it was time to go Lincoln said "2 minutes!" Joe and I burst out laughing. He threw my own rule right in my face. So he played for 2 more minutes and I went down the slide with him one last time. He of course tried to get "2 minutes again" but he didn't object when I said no.
We had some errands to run on the way home while both kiddos were asleep. Lincoln had seen some Angry Bird stuffed toys at Office Max on clearance yesterday when I was picking up our Christmas letter from the print center. He LOST HIS MIND when I told him he had to put them back (no nap ninja yesterday) and I told him he had to ask Santa. The whole way home he was crying "Ask Santa birds" and he even remembered long enough to tell Joe when he met us up at Hometown Holidays tree lighting here in Verrado. Of course when he had the chance to see Santa last night he totally broke down in fear. Yup, we even got a photo of Lincoln crying on my lap next to Santa! I hope it'll be a classic - we are waiting for the link to be e-mailed to us. Hometown holidays was also a fabulous even with s'mores, snow, ponies, hay rides, vendors, AIM performances, and a fabulous chill in the air. It almost felt like Christmases I was used to growing up - except for the palm trees and the cactus.
Anyway, I went back in today to get the Angry Birds and a pig. I can't wait to stuff them in the tree or build a tower with lincoln's blocks and put the pig in there and the birds in basket to knock down. He'll love it.
We got home and put Lincoln (who was still WAY tired after two days with less than full naps) in the tub, then into his Santa jammies, and then plopped him on the couch to watch some Magic School Bus (his new TV favorite). No guilt about intentional TV time. He requested a chocolate (Nutella) sammich. He did some Christmas tree decorating - which I guess we've slowly been doing over the course of the week and finished out his night with a Mickey Christmas show. Then he ran into his room with his Sarge car from Santa today and started lining his cars up. I walked into his room to hear him say in his sweet sweet sing-songy voice "seven, eight, nine, TEN" I have no idea if one thru six preceded seven, eight, night, and ten (there where 10 cars on the floor too but only 9 were actually in the line he'd made). Way to count, Lincoln!
He's gotten out of bed 4 times already over the last 45 minutes despite being RIDICULOUSLY tired. Joe's sleeping on the floor by the tree with Emi who's been kicking, blowing bubbles, and watching the lights and has now fallen alseep herself. She's worked so hard today being cute and around lots of people outside for 6 hours. She rolls over all.the.time. I call it #Zoolanderproblems since she can only turn over her right shoulder. #cantturnleft
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