The Army Man Ages

The Army Man celebrated his birthday last week, to little fanfare. He was busy with work and didn't leave until pretty late, so Laura and I met him at one of his favorite little places for a quick dinner and some ice cream. I guess this is what happens on birthdays as an adult-life goes on. I prefer everyone to stop what they're doing and celebrate my birthday, but the Army Man is much more mature than me and realizes that's not what usually happens. I think all in all his birthday was pretty good-I know he enjoyed all of his presents, and he loved his dinner. What he's not loving is getting older.

That's right, you can all laugh at him, I'll wait. I laughed plenty too, believe me. Those of you who don't know us personally might not realize that I'm actually older than the Army Man, by about 2.5 years. Yes, shocking I know. I don't think my poor mother will ever recover from that shock. But alas, there's nothing to be done about it now. So as I find myself approaching 30, my dear husband turned a whopping 27 years old and has suddenly decided that he's old.

Turns out everyone he knows in the Army marks age 27 as the year their bodies started breaking down. The Army Man claims he felt a pain in his knee on his birthday, so obviously this urban legend is 100% true. He's started groaning when he stands up. He gets tired easily. Naps are more common. He gets mad at kids for walking on his lawn. He turns the TV up louder than he used to. So maybe he is getting old! But the older he feels, the younger I feel, so Army Man: feel free to keep this up.

And now I have to embarrass him with a few pictures. It's hard to find ones of just the Army Man-most of them seem to have Laura in them.

Before the Bataan Death March in 2004

One of my favorite picture of Laura with her DaddySummer 2007On a jump in 2005

One of my favorite pictures of the Army Man

A silly picture from this month

I could keep going but I suppose I'd better stop there. I spent a lot of time going through my pictures this morning, trying to find the perfect ones to post, and it was actually a very nice trip down memory lane for me. The Army Man and I have known each other for over 11 years and are coming up on our 6th wedding anniversary. All of the pictures I looked at reminded me just how lucky I am to be married to such a funny, smart, sweet (and younger) guy!

Rottweiler+Moxie=Bad News

Something happened this afternoon that the Army Man and I have been nervously anticipating for a few weeks. While the Army Man was running with Moxie, the neighborhood Rottweiler managed to pull free of his backyard tether, and attempted to attack Moxie. Don't worry, everyone is fine, but I'll be blunt: I'm pissed off.

Let me start what will be a lengthy post by saying that I had a Rottweiler growing up. Sheba was a sweet, fuzzy, bear of a dog, and had the advantage (some would say disadvantage, but not I) of being a long-haired Rottweiler. The general public usually didn't discern that she was a Rottweiler since she didn't have the traditional look, and therefore people usually weren't scared of her. Which was good, because she was sweet. So I don't mind Rottweilers. I think that if they are well-trained, properly socialized and exercised, they can be great dogs. That's true of any dog really, big or small. If you don't give your dog attention, affection, and playtime, it will quickly become bored, destructive, disobedient, and even aggressive.

Now that I've started running in our neighborhood, I'm pretty cognizant of which dogs look like they could give me trouble. Top on my list is the house with what appears to be 5 or 6 large dogs, all "contained" behind a 3 or 4 foot fence. When I used to run by with Moxie the barking and growling was deafening. So I don't go that way anymore. The other house is up the street, and about six months ago the Army Man reported that that house was now in the possession of the most adorable Rottweiler puppy. When it was a cute little puppy, the family walked it all the time and it was usually kept inside.

We watched that puppy turn into a big Rottweiler. We were sad when we realized the family stopped walking it as much. And we started to get worried when we saw that they were now tethering it in their unfenced backyard for the entire day, and well into the evening, even when they were home. The bigger it got, the more ferocious it got, the more it would pull at the end of it's tether to bark and lunge at people who walked by. We took a short family walk last night, and saw the dog react in that way to another family walking by. We opted to not walk down that street, and the Army Man and I discussed and worried what would happen if it broke free.

So yep, that's what happened today. Moxie and the Army Man went for a run, and passing by the house, the Rottweiler pulled the tether out of the ground, and charged Moxie. From what the Army Man says, it sounds like her giant mane of fur protected her from a full-on bite, but there was definite yelping on her part. The Army Man managed to get a hold of the tether and had the dogs separated, but really had no good solution to how to get rid of the Rottweiler and get Moxie safely home. Luckily for him, a very nice young man came along who knew the Rottweiler, and took it from the Army Man.

Once he got Moxie safely home, he went back to the house, only to be greeted by a teenage boy who seemed completely clueless. He left his number, and we did get a call a bit ago, from the mother. She really didn't seem to care that much. Apparently she did her part by tethering her dog. The Army Man telling her that we often run that way with our young daughter didn't seem to matter to her. He advised her of the new law going into effect on August 1st (not a moment too soon) that will bar people from tethering their dogs when there is no human present. She never really apologized either, which blows my mind. Her only words of comfort were that it would "never happen again".

I called the after-hours Animal Control number to report the incident. I may be a sweet, nice person who doesn't like to cause trouble, but this was unacceptable to me. What if it had been me, Laura, and Moxie? I would have essentially had to sacrifice Moxie to protect Laura. What if the dog thought Laura was even more appealing to attack than Moxie? I really am trying not to think about how bad it could have been. I am feeling so lucky that it was the Army Man, and that both he and Moxie are okay. It turns out that the Sheriff's office is the after hours Animal Control, and a nice young officer (so young, like maybe 12) came to our house. There isn't much he can do so I have to call again tomorrow to make sure Animal Control is aware and can make a record. The bad part is that when the Sheriff was here, the teenage boy owner of the Rottweiler walked by, taking the poor dog for a much needed walk. So now they know where we live AND that the Sheriff was called. I just hope it doesn't turn into a bigger mess.

The Sheriff advised the Army Man that if this ever happens again, he is completely within his rights to defend himself however he sees fit. I would hate for it ever to come to that, but I will protect what's mine, whether it is Laura or Moxie, and I know the Army Man will do the same. I suppose some sort of protective device is now in my running future.

If you made it through that entire post, I commend you. I was extremely riled up when I sat down to write, and it was very calming to share all that information with my readers. I think the situation had pretty much the best outcome possible, and I'm grateful for that. Everyone is fine, and Moxie had a huge, delicious dinner tonight. Probably a great night, in her book.

Disney World, Here We Come!

Before I leave you all hanging for over a week with no Claire fix, I wanted to pop in and let you know that the Army Man survived his survival training. He called yesterday afternoon and sounded really good. Apparently he lost 15 pounds in just 3 weeks (sign me up for that program, minus the torture, please!) and ate, among other things, a grasshopper, clover, a snake, and a rabbit heart. But I don’t want to tell his story for him. Maybe I can convince him to write a guest post when he gets home.

Home from where, you ask? Oh, that would be DISNEY WORLD! Or, as I have been calling it, “D-World”. That is my most excellent code name, as I decided to keep it a secret from Laura where we were going. I figured if she ever had a really rough day of missing Daddy, I would whip out that little bit of info, but I never needed to tell her, and I’ve been successful at keeping my lips zipped. I mean seriously-when you’re 4, how awesome will it be to just roll up to Disney World one day? She’s beside herself with excitement as it is: she gets to see Daddy tomorrow, and stay in a “hoe-and-tell” (that would be a hotel for those who don’t speak Lauraese) with a big pool.

She has been harassing me nonstop today, asking what the surprise is, but I’m remaining strong. Although with the weather forecasting rain EVERY SINGLE DAY of our trip, the surprise might be that Mommy and Daddy spent a nice sum of money to sit in a hotel room all day.

Finally!

The day we have been waiting for finally arrived today: the Army Man graduated from the Civil Affairs Qualification Course. Laura and I attended the ceremony this morning, and got to see all of the soldiers all dressed up. Nothing like a man in uniform, right? Too bad for everyone else that our Army Man was the most handsome one there.

I am so proud of the Army Man for doing such a great job during school and dealing with all the grief that comes with being in training. There were plenty of times of annoyance and confusion, lots of sitting around and waiting, and some really time consuming (and possibly pointless) assignments. But never once did the Army Man say that he regretted making this switch, never once did he say he was going to give up, and he never stopped doing his best. That is why I am so proud of him, and why I am so thankful that he is a member of our military.

He has put up with hard work, stress, and time away from his family, all so that he can be the best officer he can and protect his soldiers when it comes time to deploy. He chose this new branch so that he can go to other countries and help the civilians there, however he can. Selfishly, it will be hard to be without him when he deploys, but if he makes a difference in the life of even one other citizen of this world, be it with health care, infrastructure, or government, it will be worth it.

올리브 주스 여보

Just The Girls

So the Army Man is off doing his Army thing until next Friday, and isn’t allowed to have any contact with us the entire time. That’s a big change for us, because he’s usually been allowed to bring his cell phone with him and call from time to time. But I’m brave and can last 10 days.

We were talking to the Army Man’s Mom last night and she asked what Laura and I will do while he’s gone. The Army Man said we’ll probably just eat out and shop, which I took great exception to, until I realized that it was probably true. The pressure is off for a few days. I can relax, and not worry about that eternal question of “what’s for dinner?” I don’t have to start rushing around at 4pm to make sure my messes of the day are cleaned up. I can turn on the light in the middle of the night if I want. I might even get a good night’s sleep not listening to his snoring.

Sure I’ll still feed my child, but I’m pretty darn sure she doesn’t care if I don’t serve a 3 course meal every night. Yes, I’ll still clean the house (this is me we’re talking about), but I’ll do it late at night when I prefer to do it. I might do a little shopping, but it won’t matter because I’ll just be using the money I saved at the grocery store today by not having to buy food for the Army Man. I spent about $100 less than usual and still managed to buy a DVD, a postal scale, and some Easter presents for Laura!

It’s easy for me to be so chipper right now, when he’s only been gone for 8 hours. Even with all the relaxation, I hate it when he’s gone. It’s lonely, and I get scared at night. Our house is creaky and I am always convinced there is someone breaking in. And who will I complain to about all of my aches and pains? Plus I hate to watch LOST alone. Moxie gets her best exercise with him since she actually has to run to keep up with his running. Laura loves goofing off with Daddy and apparently he's a lot more fun to play with than I am. And I can't forget to mention the Army Man's excellent eye for baby gear and all of the encouragement he gives me while I try to churn out things for my shop.

So hurry back Army Man. There are three girls here who miss you.

We Love Math Jokes In Our Family

Yesterday, the Army Man ate pie on Pi Day. I laughed when he told me that and I don't know whether to be proud or embarrassed.

Just Another Night At Our House

A few nights ago I went upstairs for a few minutes leaving the Army Man and Laura downstairs. After just a moment, I heard a sound that is heard in our home at many times daily: crying. This time was different though. On the Crying Threat Level scale I would rate it as “High” but that was only because I was an entire floor away from the crying and couldn’t tell if there was any thrashing involved. I’m sure there was. So this crying-I’m talking full on screaming and shouting and crying. I couldn’t figure out what the heck could be going on. I was there not a minute ago and all was well. They were sitting on the couch together. What could have transpired?

What happened was this: a tiny little hangnail caught Laura’s attention. She showed it to the Army Man. He looked at it and felt his fatherly duties involved somehow removing the offending nail. So he decided to just rip it off. Rip it off of my extremely dramatic and sensitive daughter’s finger. The crying began before the ripping even started, that’s how dramatic Laura is. The moment she broke free from the Army Man she came barreling upstairs screaming and crying, waving the evidence in front of me with nary an intelligible word to be heard. She was so distraught that she actually ran from bedroom to bedroom screaming and crying. For added effect perhaps? Searching for a safe place to hide from further finger injury? Maybe looking for some weapon of torture to use on the Army Man? I didn’t even get the full story until the Army Man came upstairs to sheepishly explain that he hadn’t thought it would hurt her so much.

I know he meant well. And I know I’m lucky to have the Army Man as my husband when most Dads would just tell their daughter to go see Mommy for an issue like that. I just hope he learns his lesson and next time gets out the clippers sitting in my bathroom for just such an occasion.

Reindeer Run

I don't know if I will ever officially feel like a runner, but completing my second 5K in one month sure is helping! Today the Army Man and I, along with Laura, participated in our first race together. The weather was very mild for this time of year, and everyone was looking very festive with their reindeer antlers on. The Army Man pushed Laura in the jogging stroller, and I'm sure glad he did, because I don't think I would have made it if I had been pushing.

The route was very pretty, and took us through the historic downtown area. I alternated between gasping for breath and drooling over all the beautiful homes. The bad part was that the course was very hilly, at least to this novice. What is it with races going straight uphill at the beginning?

I went a bit slower this time, with an official time of 37:50. That was the Army Man's time too, since he stayed with me the whole time. We all know that he could have gone a lot faster if he had wanted to! My friend Angela ran the race too, and I have to brag on her behalf for a moment-she finished in 27 minutes!!! I'm sure she will give her take on the race soon, so check out her blog sometime today for all the details. Her husband was taking pictures, so there may be some good ones later. I saw him taking pictures when I finished so we may get treated to me looking ill.

All in all, it was a lot of fun! Laura is looking cute wearing the reindeer antlers, and I just ran 3.1 miles on a Saturday morning. And I may have convinced the Army Man to treat me to a cheeseburger as my reward!

A Man And His Truck

The poor Army Man has never had the joy of having a new car. Last night we remedied that by buying a new truck (added bonus was the patriotic feeling we got by doing our part for the economy). We got rid of the car that has caused me nothing but heartache for 2 years (brand name held to protect the not-so-innocent) and I'm back to driving my adorable yet filthy Jetta Wagon. It has been driven by the Army Man for two years and it needs some loving attention to get it back in shape for a girl to drive it-namely soap, water, and a vacuum.

I only wish we could have bought the nicest truck on the lot for the Army Man who has had to drive my old (and pretty girly) cars for our entire marriage. Until we can afford his Mercedes SL550, he says he's happy with this. And the good news is that I still remember how to drive a stick. I drove it around the block and didn't stall once! The Army Man makes it look much easier though; he doesn't shriek at all when he drives it.

Just Another Day at the Office

One of the Army Man’s favorite parts about being in the Army is that he gets to jump out of planes. Luckily they give him a parachute, so don’t worry about that. He has been so busy in school that he hasn’t jumped for over a year, so you can understand why he was eager to do so as soon as possible. Saturday was the lucky day. Laura and I drove out to the drop zone to see him jump, something we’ve only done once before, and this time was particularly cool. The plane the soldiers were jumping out of was much smaller than normal, so the jump was handled entirely on the drop zone. The plane would land directly on the drop zone, collect a few soldiers, take off, push them out the door, land, and start over again. So we got to see the Army Man get on the plane, take off, and jump.

As usual he did a great job and even managed not to get injured or fall into a swamp like he occasionally does. Laura was terrified of the noise from the plane (see my previous post about her not liking loud noises) and ran screaming every time the plane landed. Despite dealing with that, I still managed to get a few good pictures. You’ll have to take my word for it that the Army Man is in fact in some of these pictures. My camera zoom is only so powerful.

Here I am with the Army Man before the jump. Isn't he cute?The very small plane.

Getting onto the plane. The Army Man is fifth from the left.

Falling to the ground. The Army Man is on the top right. Coming off the drop zone. And last one: handing his helmet off to Laura.

V-22 Osprey

On our run yesterday, the Army Man and I got a real treat: we saw a V-22 Osprey flying overhead. This tilt-rotor aircraft can essentially be flown as a helicopter or airplane and is currently used by the Marines. No ideas as to why one was out our way, but it was flying pretty low and was very impressive looking. Unfortunately we didn't have our camera on the run, but I'm including a picture from the Internet for those who don't know what they look like.

The Art of Camouflage

The Army Man doesn't takes naps like a regular person. He is camouflaged while doing it. It's almost as if there is no one on the couch!