Week 2

We are surviving! We've had pink eye, colds, and asthma attacks during the last week...but it's all good. Jason called on Thursday. He said his DS (drill sergeant) was standing next to him and he had to tell me he was fine and officially at Basic. We got to talk for about 5 minutes. I think that he is having a really hard time. Not with the work--but just missing the kids. He told me that he did at least 400 push ups. Every five minutes they have to drop and do 25, because someone has screwed up. Something he is really proud of is the fact that he has had a bowl of spinach at every meal! I'm totally liking that part of training. He said he really misses the sound of the kids voices. He sent directions on how to, "Ranger Roll" a shirt. So, of course, the kids spent all evening Thursday, running around like savages with no shirts on...even Kennedy. He told them in his letter that the way you test and see if the shirt was rolled right, is by throwing it against the wall. So, there were a lot of little shirts flying across the house, too.

Lincoln lost his second front tooth yesterday! He's had wiggly front teeth since this past summer. He is pretty proud; and subsequently talks like a toothless old man ;-)

Oh, and one more thing that has been funny. Grant is sending himself to the corner. I guess he must have heard me send one of the older kids...although I really don't send them to the corner that often. Anyway, a few days ago I heard a little voice say, "Out? Now?....Out? Now?" I look and look, and finally find Grant in a little corner. Solemn as can be. So, of course I said, "Yes, you can come out now." He didn't even smile, he just said, "Thank-do mom" and walked away. But, then five minutes later I heard the same little voice. Yesterday, he sent himself to the corner 7 times. I was counting. It is the cutest, funniest, and slightly most disturbing thing I've ever seen!

This is Monday, the 12th of January. Heading to Fort Benning, GA. Good Luck Honey! We'll be praying...

Regular

Mr. Deem has officially been gone 72 hours. The first day was really hard. Jason is a very ALIVE person to have suddenly missing from the home. I miss his loud voice, his particular way of doing everything, and just having my friend around. Ked and Grant have been asking the hardest questions. I think it's a little more complicated for them to understand. I don't want them to stop asking. Jason's only fear about leaving was that Grant wouldn't remember him when he got back. We recorded some videos of Jason reading to the kids. I plan on watching them once a week or so. I think Grant will remember...

We've been getting a lot more school done, these past three days. Before Mr. D left, we were so busy getting his transcripts, getting paperwork for the Dossier, talking to his recruiter, and finishing calculus. (Thank-you Jesus! He didn't think he would pass.) The kids weren't getting a whole lot done. That's an understatement. They weren't getting anything done. I really wasn't worried though. I was home schooled my whole childhood, and I know that especially with just two, it will be easy to catch up. Ked even did her school work yesterday. It was cute--her job was to draw straight lines. They looked like a 97-year-old wrote them. They were adorable lines!

We have roughly 168 days of Mr. Deem being gone. Sometime soon we should be able to send off our Dossier. They decided that I needed to have another home study, since the last one was so rushed. I'm going to try and post more regularly. If I learned to do anything with a determinable amount of regularity in my life--it would be a great accomplishment.

p.s.
Jason called right before he got on the plane in Boise. This is kind of funny...because it is SO Jason. He has a few minutes to talk to his wife before boot camp--and he's talking politics. He said that Walter E. Williams was subbing for Rush Limbaugh on the show. A caller asked Mr. Williams why he hadn't been talking about Mrs. Williams. He went on to say that she passed away December of '07. :-( Jason and I always love hearing him talk about his wife. He refers to her only as, "Mrs. Williams." His stories about her are hilarious, and heartwarming (hum-yes alliteration). Anyway, Jason and I decided we both wouldn't mind if we referred to each other as Mr. and Mrs. Deem. So be forewarned.