Weekend with Grandma Grove

Grandma Grove came to visit on Wednesday via the new airline "Sky Bus". She got a direct flight from Kansas City to Columbus for the bargain price of $10.00. I can't capture everything she helped me with in this blog entry, but I have never worked a guest in our home so hard. I needed help with many home front things and she was so gracious to help and never complained a minute. I had to ask for the union break, because she kept me honest to my list and crossing my goals off. I am going to list my 5 top goals that were completed. They are in no order of importance.

1. Returned my favorite leased Jetta to Midwest Auto Group.

2. Organized my single car garage, so I could use it to park inside at night.

3. Helped to lay down our new rug in the living room

4. Experimented with making Sophia baby food.

5. Assisted with organizing every room of my house including Jerry's closet. Hopefully, this will curb my cleaning OCD for a while.

6. Sorry one more.... She helped me shrink wrap and put away all of Sophia's clothes that no longer fit.

7. Ooops, one more... I got my hair done.

Why is it, that I hate asking for help from friends/neighbors, but I can put my parents to work like nobody's business?????

When I didn't have my mom working, we got the opportunity to do some serious Macy's shopping, had dinner with girlfriend Sharon, a nice walk around the neighborhood with next door neighbor Carene while Pete, Abbi & Gracie watched Sophia, and breakfast with neighbors Jackson and mom Tricia.

Sorry, I don't have any photos of Grandma with Sophia. I will upload them, once GG sends me them. Thanks Grandma Grove for coming to visit.....

All 3 Cats, Boof in the front, Debby in the middle & Bernard on the rug. Even though I still can't touch Debby, she is getting more brave around the home and when the food is just put out. She has lived with us for 4 years. Can you believe 4 years and we still can't touch her. She is a beautiful calico.

Sophia taking a bath by candle light. Our power was off for about 1 hour tonight. Again, I have the BEST neighbors! My neighbor on the left "Gina" stopped by and made sure Sophia and I were okay. Neighbor on the right "Laura" called to make sure we were okay.

Sophia in her 18 Month PJ's. Can you believe that. She weighs almost 23lbs. I can finally see my resemblance in her.

Weekend # 3

I am so blessed, supported and loved. I feel this kindness everyday.

Our lovely neighbor Carene, after reading the blog and understanding my desire to improve my phsyique asked if I would like to become work out partners a couple days a week. I was so THRILLED! My response had a lot of YES, YES, YES in it. Carene's gracious family Pete, Abbi & Gracie agreed to watch Sophia, while we are out walking, taking a class, etc. On Thursday night, they cooked me a lovely dinner and then off for our walk around the neighborhood. It was so nice to get out and about with a fellow neighbor, mom and friend. Thank you Bressoud family for a nice night. Looking forward to our next walk.

Friday, was a crazy and tense day. Our yearly reviews were due. As if, personal reviews are not hard enough, we also write peer reviews that are to be anonymous. (However, when you only work with 4 people, it's pretty easy to know who wrote that about you). I don't know if I shared with you, but the average age at A&F is probably 26. So it is very hard for professional criticism to be taken in just that manner. Our rating system for doing good is "YOU ROCK". (Dear Lord, is this the path I am really to be taking?)

Saturday, we did not get up and ready in time to take Sophia to baby yoga. We just took it easy, and later in the afternoon met Karen & Isaac Steidle for some coffee at Starbucks. Karen and I were acting as chaperons for the date. It was nice to do a little mommy/girl/adjusting to being back to work talk. When I got home, my neighbors John, Gina & Dog Carl came over and dropped of the most tasty vegetable soup and chocolate chip cookies. I love the soup, so much I have stretched it out over 3 days. Yummy! Thank you Gina, John & Carl. (I have the best neighbors!) Saturday night, I found a babysitter from my evening out at the "Mommy Mixer" (like speed dating, only mom's meet potential babysitters) and met Sharon and Judy for the 5:30 movie of 27 Dresses. Defiantly a chick flick, but fun. Just in case you wanted to check out the mommy mixer web site.

http://www.mommymixer.com/home.aspx

Sunday, I went with a fellow co-worker Sam Low to the OSU women's basketball game which honored military members and their families. Sophia loved the basketball game. The bright lights, loud noises, and people to look at overstimulated her and she took a nap in my arms.

Monday, in effort to be more PC (and probably court ordered) , Abercrombie gave us Martin Luther King Day off. I was thrilled to have a long weekend. Sophia and I made our way down to Cincinnati to visit a friend, Brandee Anderson who had a baby girl Annabell on December 27th. She is doing the whole mom thing alone. Can you imagine doing all the shifts alone? I can't! Brandee has it all organized, she is calm, and adjusting well. She did not complain one single world! I was impressed! I had high hopes that I could help Brandee with some cleaning, cooking, organizing, possibly give her the opportunity to take a nap, but Sophia was a little Devil! All I could do was tend to Sophia and we kept laughing that I was going to need a nap. Lul! Note to self, leave Sophia at home, when it's critical to get something done. Somehow, Sophia's timing is always right on que. Brandee mentioned to me, her charming husband told her, that she had the tougher part of the year. Bless his heart.

Once, leaving the Anderson home, Sophia and I went to Jungle Jim's Grocery Store. Has anyone been there before? It's quite an experience.... I am not a good cook, so I found myself picking up my staple items of cereal, vegetables, etc. I am sure my friends Danya & Sharon would be disappointed in my selected items.

Sophia taking a bath Monday night.

Dating Pool

Mirror Mirror on the wall....

Dear BFF Maria Bova,

I am sorry I have not been over lately for some girl talk and braiding of hair, but I have been very busy on-line dating looking for suitors. Fortunately, all of my dates have been a success. All the men are comfortable with my off the chart weight and short hair. I think my two teeth pearly white smile impresses the men.

Oh dear Maria, I need your help... I am in a predicament. I don't know who I should go steady with. Below are their photo, can you help me decide. I am going to mention their perks and a little about their personality, so you can guide me.

Johnny is the son to Chris & Dinah Cicenas. We have been seeing each other since July. Here is an earlier photo of our 1st date together. We were only resting together (I promise). Johnny has many wonderful features, one of which makes my father happy, as he is off the chart on height.

Jackson is the son to Scott & Tricia Arthur. We just starting seeing each other two weeks ago. He has the coolest cat Lilly and is very kind to me on Tuesday and Thursdays. I really like his boyish charm, but I play it cool. Can you tell from the attached photo, I pretend to be not interested. I just got done reading the book "He's not that into you". I will lend it to you....

The last cutie is Isaac, he is the son of Matt & Karen Steidle. We met today for the first time at Starbucks. He has a smile that will melt your heart. He is almost as flexible as I am, and I understand he can roll continuously to get what he wants.

Maria, I am really counting on you to give me some guidance. You have been such a good friend to me, and I appreciate you for forgiving me. I pulled your hair because I was jealous of your long locks.

Friend Forever,

Sophia

Thoughts to share

I would like to touch on a few things, that hopefully will make you laugh and give you a better insight as to what it's like when a family member leaves on deployment. This is Jerry's and my second year apart, so I actually recognize and remember a lot of the feelings and actions that I am repeating.

One of the most difficult things for me, is asking for help. I loath to ask for help! I especially dislike asking for help because I can't return the favor this year. So, I am asking my friends, family and neighbors to understand when I am wishy washy on my requests for help, it's because this is new for me. I am not good at it.

You probably would of laughed if you heard my telephone conversation and request to my dear neighbor Rosie to watch Sophia. The request probably had a lot of... If you could....Maybe....Sometime around 6:30pm......Don't want to inconvenience you.... Thankfully, Rosie listened to me, understood my request and made it simple. If anyone has insight on how to ask for help in a complete, concise manner I would appreciate your guidance. I am so blessed to have such loving people who want to help in my life. I hope you know I will pay it forward. Thank you Rosie for caring for Sophia last night.

The other private thought I would like to share is the grieving cycle that comes along with the family member leaving. For some reason, I bounce back and forth from acceptance to madness. This week, I am mad. Can I tell you what I am mad about, and hopefully this makes you laugh...

Jerry was to write a thank you note to two people who donated a Christmas Tree adorned with goodies for the troops. Of course the holiday has come and gone, Jerry left to Texas and this task was not completed. Once in Texas, I told him that I would remind him just one last time to write the note and I was going to dump the memory and it would be on his conscious. It was Monday AM, and I needed something to be pissed about and I pulled this stupid task back from the delete file in my brain and wrote Jerry an e-mail. I had to re-write the e-mail multiple times because I wanted to stay married. I EVEN looked up a word in the Thesaurus to get the right tone. Just in case you wanted to know, the word was "unmindful". I placed it so perfectly into the e-mail. Your probably wondering if the thank you notes are out..... Last night, on the phone Jerry reassured me they went out on Monday.

During my current emotion which is acceptance, I think this entry is hilarious. I don't mean to be dramatic when I talk about the grieving cycle, but this is the only thing I can compare all these emotions too. I really hope this e-mail is read in the context of being funny and light. Really, should I have spent my morning harping on a stupid thank you note???? Can't help it.

Just Photos

Today, there is not a lot to update you on, just an uneventful night of Chipolte and The Biggest Looser TV show. (Is that an oxymoron???) Here are a few photos. I know there is a way to place a caption under the photo, but I can't figure it out.

The top photos are Sophia in her new Seat Saver. Sophia has an inflamed taste bud on her tongue, so she keeps sticking out her tongue trying to explore the bump. The next photo is our cat Bernard on the changing table. Ugh!

Tight Tuesday

Wow, it's been a morning! Sophia and I got up early to talk to Jerry on the Web Cam. Sophia was in a great mood, sitting in her seat saver, playing with her teething ring and rattle. Every time Jerry would say.... Sophia, Hi Sis, her eyes would get big. She defiantly remembers his voice. I don't think she connected the voice with the computer.

She needed to eat, but would have nothing to do with the cereal, so I got out the trusty sweet potatoes. She opened her mouth so wide, it makes me wonder if she will ever like another food item. Jerry commented that every drop made it into her mouth.

The delay on the Web Cam is significant, so we found ourselves talking on the cell phones and looking at the computer. (Don't Laugh!!!) I was being miss negative and said.... This connection is not much better than our tour 4 years ago. He reassures me, it's his slow connection in his room. Both of us needed to get going, so we said our good byes. I think Jerry enjoyed just watching Sophia eat and thrive.

Sophia and I got bundled up for her day at Jackson's. On the way there, I put on some background music by Johnny Cash. We sang together, "I'm going to Jackson", to get her in the mood. I think this will be our morning ritual on Tuesday & Thursdays.

I was only 10 minutes late for work. (Last week, I was 30 minutes). I am slowly working on the timing of dropping off Sophia and making it to work on time. Next week, I will have it down.

Weekend # 2

When you find out a family member is leaving, so much of your life is put on hold. You always think... I will get to that later.

So now that the band aid is ripped off, I have the opportunity to focus on just Sophia and I....

My very exciting Friday night was filled by feeding my OCD with cleaning my closet and room. It was so nice to purge all those items that were haunting me every time I looked in the closet or opened my dresser. Not to mention the amount of dust that had accumulated on the furniture.

Saturday, Sophia and I woke up at the crack of dawn to go to Baby Yoga class. Now all you parents know that taking a baby anywhere is quite a challenge. All the stuff you need to carry in case of an emergency is a just as heavy as the baby. Sophia and I got adjusted at the Elizabeth Blackwell Center for our time together and hopefully improve my physique. Well, Sophia did not cooperate, I spent the entire time meeting her needs and learning 3 poses. Let me say that again, 3 poses. Then the class was over, just 30 minutes. Ugh.

After the yoga class Sophia and I went to Dr. Messick's office for Part 1 flu shot. Sophia loves to lay on the tear off paper tables. She gets so excited, flaying her arms, legs and tearing the paper. Forget all her toys at home, I am purchasing medical paper next Christmas for her. The nurse pointed the shot so precisely and quickly that Sophia did not even know what hit her. There were a few tears, but after I picked her up there was a smile.

Next we rushed from the Dr. Office to DSCC for the Family Readiness Meeting. There was a great turn out of family members there. Mostly wives to the Solider. The commander called in and talked to us about how everything is going in Texas. Much like many of my conversations with Jerry, I sensed frustration in his voice. It seems there are a lot of changes happening, and they are at the last minute. I think he is afraid to give any outdated information. He mentioned their medical immunizations, training and the weather. I know they are working from dawn to dusk. He told us a little about their living conditions which are tight. He tried to squash any rumors which thankfully are very few at this time. They also brought in a speaker who talked to us about stress management.

There were a few tears at the meeting by spouses, which breaks my heart. I was so happy to have Sophia in my arms to hold and hide my tears I was shedding for this beautiful and strong lady. After the meeting was over, they gave us these lovely pins and pillow cases with photos of our family members. Thank you NW Ohio Military Friends for making the pillowcases and pins for us. I got the honor to place the pins on the proud children's chest over their heart.

So to move onto a lighter note, our lovely neighbors Abbi & Gracie Bressoud are selling Girl Scout Cookies. They are carrying a sign that says...."Gift of Caring, You can donate cookies to our soldiers over seas." How cute and thoughtful is that! So far, they said they have around 50 boxes donated. Thank you!

Giving Thanks

Today's entry is about giving thanks. Where do I start?

Well.....I think I will start on events that happened before Jerry's departure and leading up to today.....

Life has been so crazy, and thank you notes have been far and few.

-Thank you Lois Wile for watching Sophia on the night of Jerry's surprise going away party. Your kindness helped me focus my attention on Jerry, our friends and his exciting evening at the Columbus Blue Jackets. Thank you also for the lovely Sophia Dolly.

-Thank you friends for traveling across the state, sharing your Christmas Holiday with us at the Columbus Blue Jackets.

-Thank you Aunt Joanne for taking us out for lunch at Aladdins. Sophia fell asleep in your arms so quickly. You have the touch. Thank you also for the $ for Sophia's college fund.

-Thank you neighbors Rod & Rosie Tolliver for watching Sophia on New Years Day. Jerry and I were able to get one last date in before his departure. We both had forgotten what a movie theatre looked like.

-Thank you Ngouane for staying the night, so Jerry and I could leave peacefully and with ease to military formation and the airport at 3:30am.

-Thank you neighbor and friend Laura Bova for stopping by that first night to check in on us. This was so sweet of you.

-Thank you neighbors John & Laura, Pete & Carene for watching Sophia while our Nanny was out for the day.

-Thank you to my younger sister Heidie for sending me Halmark E Cards & coming to visit the first weekend.

-Thank you to my older sister Christie for sending me an e-mail and pointing out the positive things regarding Jerry's departure. I will just mention one, which is never having to watch a Brown, Reds, CBJ, Ohio State or any ESPN classic TV show for 365 Days.

-Thank you to my good friend Sharon for cooking all the lovely food at the Origami & Wine party. Yummmy!!!

-Thank you girlfriends for coming over, making me laugh and building paper cranes.

-Thank you neighbor and friend Tricia Arthur for watching Sophia 2 times a week and making her use her abs to sit up. I love the daily/event updates and photos. Thank you Jackson for sharing your mommy with Sophia.

-Thank you Emily Harkins for staying this week at the house. Your company and help has been a wonderful blessing. I got the opportunity to pick up sticks in the front yard and clean up my Jetta to turn in to the leasing dept while you cared for Sophia. Good Luck in your last semester of College. We will miss your company. Come and stay anytime.

-Thank you to John, Laura and Maria Bova for inviting Sophia and I over for the evening and feeding me soup and holding Sophia.

-Thank you Disney for Baby Eisntein : )....

-Thank you Mom and Dad for your continued support. I can't touch on just one thing at this moment. There are too many to mention.

I feel like I am presenting a Grammy Speech and I know there are many other friends and family I have forgotten to thank. Don't you worry, I will go back stage and thank you on the next Blog....

January 10, 2008

Dear Friends & Family,

After reading for a few months a neighbors family updates by blog, I have decided to create our own to help everyone stay informed. Hopefully you like the postings, photos and updates. You can even post responses if you would like. I most likely will discontinue the e-mail updates.

Now.... I am not very technically savvy or claim to be an expert on grammar or spelling, so please be kind when reading my entries. My thoughts are very clear in my head, it's just getting it down on paper that sometimes becomes jumbled.

Jerry and I have been able to communicate via cell phones the last couple days. They are settling in, training and recovering from the OSU loss.

Sophia is doing great and slowly getting back into a routine. On Tuesday & Thursday while her Nanny is in school, she goes to our neighbors home to visit her boyfriend Jackson. Sophia and Jackson were born on the same day, year and hospital. Sophia out weighs Jackson by 6lbs. I think all the weight is stored in her cheeks. We were fortunate to meet the Arthur family this summer while walking the babes in the neighborhood. Thank you Tricia for your help and support. Attached are a few photos of Jackson and Sophia at lunch time and going for a walk.

January 8, 2008

Dear Friends & Family,

Many of you have asked how Jerry's father is doing. He continues to stay positive & active. I will hopefully get a good update to share with you soon. Please keep Harold & his family in your prayers. Attached are a few photos of Jerry's father with Sophia over the holidays. His sister Janalee took the portraits.

My younger sister came to help out the first weekend. We had a lovely weekend. I had a small gathering of some close friends, and we were able to make about 80 Origami Cranes for Shu/Heidie's wedding party favors. We had a good time doing it. I was quite impressed with how fast everyone picked up the skill. All the wine helped us crease the paper more straight (not). Hopefully, there will be no grading of the cranes at the wedding.

Thanks again for all your support & help. I hope these e-mails keep you updated. If you want me to remove you from the e-mail group, please let me know. I am always happy to add additional friends & family to the group. Please just pass me their address.

Talk with you soon.
Tiffanie