Double secret poke your eyes out spy stuff...

Do not (I REPEAT) Do not tell anyone what I'm about to tell you or I'll have to find you and tickle you to death.

Just kidding.  HELLO....have you noticed the whole world can read this blog?

Today, our DSPYEOSS (double secret poke your eyes out spy stuff) is going to focus on OpSec...which is a big fancy word...ok...its actually a short acronym word.  BUT, the important part is that its commonly used by the Army (and other armed forces groups) to mean Operational Security.  Its time that I address this here in my blog.  Remember, I'm not locked down here...as in...ANYONE can read what I have to say and so as an Army wife I am bound to follow some basic OpSec rules.

Now whats the likelihood that there is a terrorist following the mundane life of little ol' me?  Probably very small, but I'm not going to take the chance that something I say could harm a soldier in any way. 

So...with that being said...OpSec rules for me are as follows...

I will never post any information about the following:

**Identification of units being deployed
**Troop movements (this includes locations of  units moving from one destination to another)
**Unit departure/arrival dates/return dates
**Deployment destinations (including any stops during air travel)
**Military activities including pre-deployment meetings, training and formations
**Pre-deployment orders
**Length of or extensions of deployments
**Information on proposed port calls
**Information about future deployments

Phew...so, that pretty much rules out me talking about the next 10 years of our lives until we're no longer in the Army. 

Just teasing...I wouldn't subject you all to the horror of my posts being all about ME...unless you all need some sleeping pills and then I can oblige with a boring story or two of life on Post... 

All joking aside...I will provide some information about whats going on...photos to share, stories too, but please know that if you want details you're going to have to call me or email me or smoke signal me.

That being said. 

We love our soldier.

And we wish you were here with us all the time.
 

 
And we'll leave a light on until you come home.

Happy anniversary to us!

FOUR GLORIOUS FOUR
(Sing to Food Glorious Food from the musical Oliver)

Is it worth the waiting for?
If we live 'til eighty-four
All we'll ever get is old!

Four, glorious four!
What wouldn't we give for
That extra few years more --

That's all that we live for.
why should we be fated to
Do nothing but brood

On four,

Magical four,

Wonderful four,

Marvellous four,

Fabulous four,

Beautiful four,

Glorious four!

Fashion Rewind...

Do you remember when this was in style? 

Ok...me neither, but maybe at least one or two big bows in your hair...

And a few banana clips never hurt anyone...

Thanks to Miss Madeline I am seriously back in the 80's these days. 

Now...dare I leave the house looking like this?

A lament...

Mostly I'm just rambling here because I need to ramble for a minute....and ultimately what I hope for is that in the ramble will come clarification and possibly a resolution and even (dare I hope) some peace of mind...

This is a lament about safe havens...places that you go to feel loved and cherished...places where you have friends that understand you and support you and help you through the roughest of times...I have a million great friends out there...you know who you are...I know who you are, but friends are a little different than the safe havens that I'm talking about...don't you have someplace or someone you can go to that you know won't judge you for actually saying the things that you aren't supposed to say, but that you just can't help but feel?

I had that kind of a place.  I've loved that place dearly for so long....it was my lifeline for many months...it was my comfort and I feel as though I have made some "best friends" that laugh with me and cry with me...

And then...all of a sudden you are back in junior high and someone passes you a note that says "somebody in our group doesn't like you."

Fast forward to what I think is supposed to happen in adult life.  Ok...you don't like me...can I ask why?  What did I do?  I'm sorry if I offended you.  I apologize for speaking too brazenly or not taking good enough care of your feelings or not being aware that my flippancy was hurting you.  Apology accepted?  Wonderful.  Lets hug, sing kumbaya and move forward...

Rewind to reality...Well, crap.  Who is it?  Oh, you can't tell me?  They want it to be a secret?  If they want it to be a secret then why are they telling everyone else?  Oh, they just put up a big "I don't like her" sign but nobody knows who it was?  Well, great...how am I supposed to fix something that I don't know is wrong for someone who won't say who they are?

And now, all of a sudden you start to suspect...what if it was her or that person?  We don't always agree, but I thought we were friends.  Well, I wonder if one of my "friends is not really my "FRIEND"...

And now that safe haven is no longer a place you want to go anymore...and its no longer a place you want to share your feelings anymore because now you know that someone in your group doesn't really want to be your friend...they aren't taking care of your feelings...in fact they don't want to be your friend so much that they anonymously announce that you are no longer a good friend to them...

And then you feel anger instead of sadness.  COWARD.

And so...do I need more drama in my life?  I do not seek it out...I refuse to accept it.  I HATE dealing with it...and now my safe haven is just...well, its drama.

And so...do I look for a new place or try and repair the old?  I know still that I have wonderful friends there, but there is just a feeling of division that now I no longer trust.  I can still visit.  I can still laugh and have fun and relish the good times and lament with them over the bad...but ultimately it is no longer a place where I will feel safe.

I've been pondering how to rebuild a new home where I can spend much needed ME time.  I think it will need to be kept close to my heart for awhile...I've been wanting to write and perhaps now is the time to start.  To finally put it all on paper and learn to rely on myself a little more to get past the hard days...

If you've made it this far in my ramble, I'm impressed...if you understood any of it I'm even more impressed.  I hope you have a safe haven...I hope it stays safe for you...

How do you teach....

a kid to think about other people?  My parents did it with service projects.  Whether we wanted to or not we learned how to behave politely.  We volunteered at church and at old folk's homes and for our neighbors and friends...  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to find anything like that around here that would work for us...

I know she's only seven, but by that age a child should be able to use proper manners - please, thank you, you're welcome and excuse me....not to mention the words I'm sorry.  Instead we get, "I want..."  "You make me..."  "move it..."  "I...I...I...I...I...."

And it seems no matter how hard I try and get her to understand how to be polite I feel like I'm talking to the "nothingness..."

Am I expecting too much from age 7?  I know its a learning process and I have to remember that its even MORE of a learning process for her because the past 8 months are the first time anyone has ever required polite speech and actions...

I'm feeling the like the wicked stepmom with how much she's in trouble these days.  I just wish we didn't always have to hit rock bottom for her to figure it out and move back up toward a peaceful existence...

**sigh**

Daredevil Bella

 The past few days have been a study of increasing more daredevil moves including climbing, standing and balancing on various precarious pieces of furniture or toys.  Tonight it is apparent that Bella's aspirations may be leaning toward a bareback horse rider.

 

Ya big loser!

Well, my sister started it...the momentum grew and now I'm a full fledged member of  The Biggest Loser Facebook Group.  Meaning...I've got to shed the pounds in order to fulfill my dream of smashing my siblings in a weight loss contest. 

It started on Feb. 1st...and ends during our family reunion which is the first week of August. 

I jumped in with both feet first...and immediately got started on SparkPeople again.  Its what led me down the weight loss pass before.  I'm actually feeling pretty motivated.  I've exercised every day so far...and granted its only been 5 days since we started, but those are 5 days I probably would not have otherwise done some form of scheduled exercise!  I'm giving myself thumbs up and kudos where I deserve them.  :)

My goal this week is to get on the exercise kick.  I've been doing OK with the eating, but there are definitely improvements I need to make in the caloric intake area.  Thats next weeks goal.  Baby steps, eh?  I can't stop being lazy AND stop eating chocolate all in the same week.  Sheesh...who am I?  Wonder Woman?

Actually - YES I AM...and that is a goal as part of my weight loss...  This halloween I am totally wearing a hot mama wonder woman costume.  I've never been able to pull it off, but I will this year. 

So, beware....this excitement I feel will continue to pervade my blog posts.  I wonder what I win when I beat my siblings...eternal glory?  Maybe I'll make all of them say, "All hail the hottie" ...more likely than not it will be some brow beating and a kick in the buns, but thats why I love them so much.