Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. Just make sure you link up and that the post you link up is a Hey, It's Okay Post. Grab the button if you'd like!
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--To be happy that #lovewins. I have friends who do not agree with the decision, but they're kind about it. On the other side, I do have some people on my Facebook list who are being downright obnoxious with their disapproval, but that's what the hide button is for.


--To also be happy that selfie sticks are banned at Disney parks. They are so annoying. And yes, I still detest the word selfie. Just typing it out makes me cringe.


--To have enjoyed the movie Spy. It was very amusing.


--To hope Bristol Palin stops criticizing other people now that she's wound up pregnant again. I like how she said she didn't want to hear any lectures, yet she lectures others. Okay?


--To like that Natalie did Vacation Bible School last week. As I've mentioned before, I am not religious. I'm more agnostic, but I want my kids to decide for themselves on what they want to believe.


--To be glad Natalie enjoyed her Crossfit Camp. I cannot do Crossfit as I am weak and allergic to exercise. But my daughter has always been athletic. I might sign her up for the Crossfit Kids classes.

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8 Things I've Never Done

When I think about it, there are lots of stuff I have never done before.


But I'm okay with it. Really.

1. Had a one night stand.

I mean, I was married at 19, so I really didn't have the time. Plus, I don't think I'd enjoy it. If I exchange fluids with someone, I'd like to know them well.


2. Done drugs.

It never sounded like anything fun. I'd rather spend money at Target. Or a book.


3. Smoked a cigarette. Not even a puff.

I prefer my lungs to be healthy. This is what I'd tell my fellow classmates if they pressured me to smoke. Granted, I'm a hypocrite, because I don't really EAT healthy.


4. Said, "Let's go exercise at 6 AM!"

I prefer to sleep.


5. Drank alcohol before I was 21.

Again, I popped out a person at 19. I was too busy parenting. I think I was 22 or 23 when I was drunk for the first time. We were stationed in England.


6. Gone Skydiving.

The thought terrifies me.


7. Got a speeding ticket off base.

I did get pulled over ON base for going a little over the speed limit. I didn't get a ticket though since it was my first time getting pulled over EVER. I've never been pulled over off base. I try to always go to the speed limit and I actually use my blinker.


8. Refer to my husband as "hubs" or "hubby."

I just can't. Cutesy words make me cringe. I call him by his name. Or I go "Husband!" like they do on The Tudors.


I might not have done a lot of things, but I did get knocked up at 19.

Oops.


What have you NEVER done before?

Inside Natalie's Closet: A 4th Of July Outfit From The Children's Place!

Are you guys ready for the 4th of July?

I'm ready to eat!

If Tom were here we'd probably grill. I don't really know how to grill without burning down the house so I'm going over to hang with my friend Jennifer. She lives on a hill so you can see the fireworks from the local show.

I also bought outfits for my kids to celebrate the holiday. Both are from The Children's Place.

Tommy really doesn't like to be near his sister. She's too loud for him. Too sticky.


"But I love you, Tommy!"

He did tolerate a few photos together:

He was grateful to go. But before he went he was like, "I guess it's a good thing we beat England in the Revolutionary War. I'm glad we're friends now at least."

Me too.

Natalie took some individual shots:

She'll probably end up wearing this outfit when her Daddy comes home.

I am incredibly jealous over Natalie's olive skin. She rarely burns. She only gets darker.

Meanwhile, I slather myself with sunscreen, sit out in the sun for 10 minutes, and I burn. I have the pale skin. Natalie got my Dad's skin.

What are you planning on doing for the 4th of July?

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. Just make sure you link up and that the post you link up is a Hey, It's Okay Post. Grab the button if you'd like!
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--To not care if Prince George wore crocs. I just cannot.


--To hope Natalie enjoys Vacation Bible School this week. I'm not religious, but I want my kids to decide for themselves on what they want to believe.


--To be ready to watch Big Brother. It starts Wednesday!


--To have enjoyed Inside Out. Some kid movies make me roll my eyes a lot. This one wasn't bad.


--To think it's cute that Natalie wants to see Jurassic World again. She loved it. And yes, I found it okay for kids to see!


--To have taken Natalie to the base pool so she could work off some energy. Tommy didn't come. He's too cool for us.

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What I Did On My Birthday

My birthday was on June 19th.

I partied.

And by partied, I mean I went to go see Inside Out with the kids.

We got to see it for free, thanks to a program on base. If a family had a deployed member, they could see Inside Out free of charge. I am grateful for the program and the movie ended up being pretty good.

After that, we returned home and I got a phone call from a flower delivery guy who spoke very little English. He didn't know how to get on the base. I tried to explain it to him and confused the poor guy even more.

He called me a total of three times.

At one point he passed the phone onto a security forces guy. I told him my address and he said he'd help the delivery guy get to me.

The delivery guy said to me, "It been forever on Tinker!" because if you don't have an ID card, you have to get a background check and have your vehicle searched.

Eventually he pulled up in front of my house. Very frazzled. He passed me my bouquet and went, "No more deliveries to Tinker!"

Sorry dude!

The flowers were beautiful though.

Tom also surprised me with a cake. I had ordered a cake from a fellow military spouse who makes awesome ones. I asked for a simple chocolate cake with buttercream frosting. It turns out Tom had contacted her in May about a cake.

We always crack up over this skit on Family Guy. (Check it out here.) It made me giggle.


For dinner, I refused to cook since it was my birthday so we got Mexican food at Teds.

I did NOT wear a giant sombrero because it's A) embarrassing and B) I wonder about the head health of the people who have worn it before.


I ended up having a fantastic day even though I missed Tom. Hopefully he can be here for my next birthday. He's due. Last year he was gone as well. Come on, Air Force! Be nice. Share your soldier.


I stuffed my face with cake. No booze, but it's okay, but honestly I'd rather stuff my face with cake.


And watch Orange Is The New Black.

7 Reasons Why It's Okay To Take Your Kids To See Jurassic World (No Spoilers)

I took the kids to see Jurassic World on Tuesday. In the IMAX theater, so it was 3D.

My kids are 13 and 8. I knew they would be okay, because they do not scare easily. I also showed them the Jurassic Park movies and they were fine for all of them. (Remember when we watched Jurassic Park for movie night?)

Honestly, I didn't think the movie was bad at all and I think it's perfectly okay for you to bring your kids (provided they can sit still for two hours.) Here are the reasons why I think it's okay.


1. There aren't a lot of curse words.


I do recall a few s-bombs, but really, it wasn't horrible. My kids hear worse from me when I drive.



2. Kids will learn early that Judy Greer basically pops up in every movie and TV show out there.

Seriously, she's probably one of the richest women in Hollywood.



3. They'll be impressed that Bryce Dallas Howard can run in high heels.

Source

I can barely WALK in them.



4. There isn't any sex.


No awkward birds and bees conversations needed.



5. They'll learn about greedy corporations just wanting to make more money.


There are some a-holes in the film who only want more, more, more. The movies shows what can happen when all you think about is money and not your customer.



6. They'll get to see a bunch of cool dinosaurs.

Source

I mean, yes, some of the dinosaurs eat people, but still...


7. The blood and gore isn't horrible.

Source

Seriously. I tend to have to look away when there is a lot of blood and gore. I didn't have to look away once and neither did my kids.



I also recommend seeing Jurassic World in an IMAX theater if you have one. It was amazing.

(Natalie had to bring a blanket, plus a bag full of toys She cannot just leave the house on her own.)

Things That Annoy Me Thursday: Banning Piercing Ears?

Apparently there is a petition going around the UK to ban baby ear piercing. (You can read an article about it here.)

I saw this and was like:

We got Natalie's ears pierced when she was one. You can sort of see her earrings in this picture.

This is what happened:

She cried for like thirty seconds and was fine. Fast forward to now. She's 8 and loves her pierced ears. If we had been banned from getting her ears pierced, I'd have been ticked.

My Mom had my ears pierced when I was 3. I'm told I was dramatic. I only allowed them to pierce one ear and then refused to let them go near my other ear. So my Mom had to bribe me with a toy. This worked. I got the other ear pieced. In my case, I did NOT like my pierced ears and would raise a fuss whenever they had to be cleaned. So my Mom just allowed the holes to close up. Do I resent her for getting my ears pierced without my permission? Um, no.


I feel like if I pushed the baby from my bajingo, then I can pierce the dang ears if I want to. Thanks.

What are your views?

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. Just make sure you link up and that the post you link up is a Hey, It's Okay Post. Grab the button if you'd like!
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--To be bummed that John Stamos was arrested for a DUI. Some people are all, "People make mistakes!" Yes but his mistake could have killed someone else. I still like him, don't get me wrong, but driving while drunk is a ridiculously stupid choice to make.


--To think it's funny when all these news stations are like, "Oh my gosh! He's WAVING!" when talking about Prince George. I'm sarcastic so I go, "My GOSH! He's WAVING? What a GENIUS!"


--To be enjoying the latest season of Orange Is The New Black. I'm only on episode 4 though.


--To have been depressed over the finale of Game of Thrones. But to have also thought, "Oh awesome. Even a disgraced queen appreciates a bush. I can't stand the no hair down there craze."


--To be turning another year older on Friday. Yup, it's my birthday. We're going to see Inside Out. For free, thanks to a program on base that allows a free movie for families with a deployed parent.


--To have laughed a bit when Natalie was going, "Help," during gymnastics class when she was doing the splits. She's just so dramatic.

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7 Things I Do When He Deploys

It's never fun when your spouse has to deploy. I try to do things to keep my mind off the fact that he's gone. It helps.

1. Rearrange stuff. This is probably confusing to Tom when he returns. He's all, "Did you hang up new stuff?" or, "What happened to my things?"


2. Watch a lot of reality TV. Tom isn't a fan of reality TV. He goes on a rant on how it's not reality at all. He freaks out over the appearance of some women. "Who would puff their lips up like that? Yuck. Why is her face so tight? Gross." It makes it hard to concentrate on why one housewife is screaming at another.


3. Talk to him daily. Or try to. Sometimes he's busy. He's not there on vacation, after all. We try to always touch base if possible.


4. Have dance sessions. It helps to blast music. Sometimes I'll put "You Can't Always Get What You Want" from The Rolling Stones when Natalie is being obstinate. This insults her. This song should also be blasted around Kanye West.


5. Read. Books make me incredibly happy.


6. Fart freely. I mean, I fart in front of my husband, but I try not to go too crazy. I don't want to totally freak him out.


7. Write. I love to write stories. In fact, I self-published The Swimmer's Assistant. I'm working on finding an agent for my other books. If it doesn't work out, I'll self-publish those too.


These are just some of the things that help keep me sane until he comes home again.

If your other half has gone away before, what do you do to help keep your spirits up?

5 Father's Day Gifts For The Stumped

Father's Day is coming up! I already sent Tom's package.

It was filled with food he likes and pictures from Natalie. He didn't want stuff because then it means he has to pack all the stuff when he comes home. Plus, when he gets home, he's getting an Alien Ware laptop.

I usually send my dad a gift tower. Where? Well, here I go with my list.

1. A gift tower from Harry and David. I actually ordered this one for my Dad.

It has a bunch of delicious items. Pears. Cookies. Gourmet popcorn, to name a few.



2. A hilarious mouse pad from Memeskins on Etsy.

This cracks me up, guys.


3. This hilarious t-shirt from Think Geek.

We are the nights who say "NI!"


4. A Jord Watch.

I did a review on a Jord Watch and I still love it.


5. If your husband is amused by the movie Stepbrothers, he might like this.

The song used to be my husband's ring tone. It could get awkward if we were at gymnastics and the song would come on. Not everyone appreciates a song about boats and hoes you see.


What are you planning to do on Father's Day?

Things That Annoy Me Thursday: My Daughter In A Bikini

So.

My daughter held up this swimsuit and was like, "Can I have this?"

I said no.

Her father and I do not feel comfortable with her in a bikini. It's a personal preference of ours. I stated this on Facebook and I got some comments saying, "She should wear what she wants! A pedophile is going to look no matter what."

Maybe. But her father and I prefer her in one pieces. Or tankinis. She's had a few tankinis.

Someone sent me a private message stating that we should NEVER tell our daughter not to wear something because we aren't comfortable. Girls should be allowed to wear whatever they want. Boys should know not to look. She said something about rape culture and blah, blah, blah.

Look, that's HER opinion.

I politely told her that Tom and I do not want Natalie in a bikini. Yes, it makes us uncomfortable but also, we don't want her getting melanoma. There are some bikinis out there that seem a little much for kids. But that's MY opinion. Let YOUR kid wear what they want.

For us, we're glad Natalie will still sport her My Little Pony swimsuits. When I explained I did not want her in bikinis she simply shrugged, went "okay", and put it back. When she's older I imagine she might argue.

However, I never argued. I was never comfortable in bikinis even when I had the body for it. I felt like I was walking out in a bra and panties. No thank you. FOR ME. Again. FOR ME. I had many friends who DID wear bikinis and they rocked it.


So basically? Do what feels right for YOUR family. Don't make others feel guilty if they have another opinion.

I promise. My daughter is fine even though she's not in a bikini.

Hey, It's Okay Tuesday!

I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your blog. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either. Just make sure you link up and that the post you link up is a Hey, It's Okay Post. Grab the button if you'd like!
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--To be excited that the cast of Gilmore Girls reunited. It's one of my favorite shows. I even did a blog post on why it's one of my favorite shows.


--To have cheered at the end of Game of Thrones. I want a dragon!


--To wish people on Facebook would quit adding me to their Scentsy/Jamberry/Wrap/Pills/etc parties. If you add me to something without my permission, I will not buy. I will just remove myself.


--To be ready for the new season of Orange Is The New Black to come out on Friday. Marathon! Well, sort of. I have kids, so I can't watch it during the day. Night marathon!


--To want to try all the new frappuccinos from Starbucks. My first try? The cupcake one. Or the cotton candy. I don't know! So many choices.


--To be glad it stopped raining so Natalie could play baseball. She hits the ball pretty well but says being in the outfield is "boring" and "makes her feet hurt." (She gets distracted. The ball goes by her quite often.)

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5 Things My Eight-Year Old Still Does

Sometimes I do a double take when I see Natalie's friends. Sometimes they are dressed in clothes that make them look thirteen. Lipstick is on their lips. Some have told Natalie that she's too old to like Disney Princesses. They'll say, "You know they aren't REAL, right?" in snotty voices. So far, Natalie has not let their opinions deter her from liking what she likes.

I'm very happy she still does the following:

1. Wears her princess dresses out.

At the park, she's been told she shouldn't wear her dresses out because they are "for babies." Sometimes Natalie has run inside with tears in her eyes. I explain that there are grown adults who wear costumes. Cosplay anyone? For the most part Natalie will tell those kids, "I'll like what I want!"



2. Sucks Her Thumb


She mainly does this when she's tired. She used to suck her thumb all the time. It hasn't messed up her teeth either. Still, I know I should stop her, but sometimes I think, "This is one of the last things left of her tiny childhood."


3. Sits on my lap

She loves to climb on me. Sometimes she wants hugs. Sometimes she wants to cuddle. Sometimes she wants a place to play Minecraft.


-4. Dresses like a kid.

As I mentioned, some kids show up dressed like a teenager. Natalie still wears clothes from Gymboree, and she will until she outgrows the clothing brand. Some kids have already started to say Gymboree is for babies, and I just want to tug on their flat ironed hair and tell them to shut it.


5. Still wants to be carried.

I know I won't be able to carry her for much longer. She's getting too heavy. She finally hit the 50 pound mark, so I begin to struggle pretty quickly. But I will still carry her upstairs when it is time for bed. She'll rest her head against my shoulder and whisper, "I love my Mommy." One night I'll have to tell her, "Mommy can't do it anymore. You're too big now." Daddy is still able to carry her, but he has a bad back, so his days are numbered too.


I miss her being like this.

But I also look forward to seeing what she'll be like when she grows.


Will she always stand up for what she likes?


Or will she eventually tell me no Gymboree and oh, can she please dye her hair purple like some of her friends?

I guess I'll find out!