Day 111: Focus

M has decided this is the summer he's going to master the monkey bars. He's been working so hard and watching him get up and try over and over is both heart warming and heart breaking. I keep telling him that anything worth having requires lots of patience and practice. I just hope he doesn't give up!

Day 110: More crafts

 Before and after!!! Oooh! Feels like I'm on HGTV!!!

A few weeks ago when Sue was in town I mentioned that we had gone to a swap meet and found this old sign. Well, I have now added the sign to my official list of "deployment arts & crafts" as previously referenced here and here. I have to say, there's definitely a nice sense of accomplishment that comes from a little DIY action! I will not, however, be hanging this sign until Dan comes home. That's getting added to the (ever expanding) "honey do" list!

Day 107-109: Close to home

It's truly been a blessing that our calendar has been so full the past few months. I wouldn't necessarily say that time has been flying but it's definitely been chugging along. This weekend was our last low-key weekend before we kick off a very busy May. We stayed close to home and spent a lot of time just hanging out and playing. We also made our first trip of the season to the neighborhood water park. We'll definitely be hanging out there a lot more in the months to come!

Day 106: School girl

My amazing husband surprised me today with tickets to see Straight No Chaser! In case you're not familiar, they're a male a cappella group that started at IU while I was in college. I haven't seen them perform live since my last Mom's weekend at the sorority (ummm...that was a long time ago...) so I'm really excited! Best husband ever award today, honey!!!

Day 105: A little help

Decorating a new house is fun. Shopping, browsing, buying new things - it's something I really enjoy. That being said, I feel like I've finally hit a wall where my design skills have officially run out. I'm good at picking things out but am lacking the talent to take it to the next level. Therefore, I caved yesterday and called a professional designer to come to the house and give me some advice. I really want to try and pull things together before Dan comes home so am hoping for some good ideas. My first consult is free and I'm hoping to glean as much info as possible during that initial visit. After that, things get expensive quickly so hopefully I'll be able to work some magic with a little expert advice! Wish me luck!

Day 104: Arts and crafts

M&P have a teacher at school who is a professional artist. She watches the kids in the afternoon and always shows them the most incredible art projects. Last week they worked on paper mache pigs and yesterday they were finally able to bring them home! I don't think I did my first paper mache project until I was in 6th grade!

In my spare time, I've taken up arts and crafts as well of the Lego variety. M likes to remind me on a regular basis that I'm not nearly as good at building Lego's as his Daddy. Therefore, I was bound and determined to conquer our latest project: the garbage truck. I am happy to report that two days later I have completed said mission. The amount of pride I feel about this is mildly embarrassing.

Day 101-103: Three ring circus

 

A little magic

An older friend once told me that one day the flood gates will open and you'll start having birthday parties for the kids every weekend. Well, that day has officially arrived. We had not one, not two but three birthday parties this weekend in addition to the school carnival. We were busy for sure but had such a good time seeing friends and having fun. The kids also got to eat birthday cake not one, not two but three times so you can imagine their elation (and their sugar highs!)

 Face painting fun

 Arts & Crafts (and pink pigtails to boot!)

 P and her best buddy, Shailey

M manning the beverage table - he hopped right in and starting serving drinks.
So sweet!

Day 100: Celebration time

It's a monumental day at Chez Summa as we reach Day 100 of Dan's deployment. I would be lying if I said it's gone by fast. We've felt every day of Dan's absence and I know he's felt every day of being separated from the kids. The one bright note is that we're now that much closer to his homecoming, which is definitely a reason to celebrate. And what better way to celebrate than with movie night?!?
We miss you so much, Dan, but we're starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Day 99: Swing time

A ride on the swings...

...a swing on the twirly thing. Life is good!

Day 98: Prima ballerina

True confession: I'm a Dance Mom. Not in the crazy-obsessive "my daughter will come home and practice for 3 hours" Tiger Mom kind of way, but in a "watching my little girl dance fills me with so much joy" kind of way. I could honestly watch P's ballet class over and over again. Fortunate for me we had observation last weekend so I was able to get a few pictures and even some video. If she wants to quit someday I'll be heartbroken but at least I'm getting my ballerina girl fix right now!

Day 97: Some nights

We've finally adjusted to the change from Daylight Savings (it took us a while this year for some reason) and are now really enjoying the longer days. Lately we've been heading to the park in the evening to play for a bit before dinner. There are at least 8 parks within walking distance of our house so every night we pick a new one. It's a great way to unwind with the kids (and kill a little time, who are we kidding?!?)

Day 96: Broken hearts

Day 93 - 95: Spring break recap

Checking out the seals at La Jolla cove

The kids head back to school tomorrow after a jam-packed week of fun with their Sue Sue (and me, I guess, when I wasn't at the office!) Sue headed back home Saturday and I think we're all suffering from a bit of withdrawal. We have so much fun when she's here and when she leaves we really miss her! Over the course of the past week we paid a visit to Legoland, hit up the farmer's market in Little Italy, saw the sea lions over in La Jolla and fit in several outings and dinners with friends. We're all rejuvenated after a little time off and have Sue Sue to thank!

 Spinning with Sue Sue at Legoland

 

Lunch in Little Italy

Day 92: Fun run

Since Sue is in town I've been able to go on a few runs outside by myself. When I run I'm usually listening to music and trying to keep to a certain pace, but today I decided to just run. I forgot the amazing sense of calm that comes from listening to your breath and the sound of your feet hitting the pavement. I know so many people think of running as a terrible chore but for me it's an almost spiritual experience. I love to turn off all the noise of everyday life and just commit myself to being focused on me. My run was over before I knew it but it was a good reminder of the peace and joy you can find in the simplest of places.

Day 91: Coconut deliciousness

I'm always hunting for yummy recipes and came across one the other day that I have to share. If you don't like coconut you can stop reading now. If you do, I highly suggest giving this one a try!

4 boneless chicken breasts,thinly sliced and/or pounded flat
1 cup coconut flour (you can find this at any natural grocer or Whole Foods)
1 cup shredded coconut
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. coconut oil
salt/pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Whisk eggs together in a bowl
3. Pour flour and coconut into two separate bowls and set alongside eggs
4. Dredge chicken in coconut flour, then egg, then shredded coconut. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste
5. Heat coconut oil in an oven-safe skillet on the stove at med high heat. When it's hot, gently place chicken breasts in pan and cook about 2 minutes on each side until the coconut is browned, but not burned
6. Take pan and put it in the oven to finish off chicken for 5-8 minutes depending on thickness of chicken breasts
7. Enjoy! I whisked together some honey, soy sauce and ginger to make a little dipping sauce but honestly it didn't need it. I think next time I might try an apricot sauce or something along those lines.

Day 90: Lucky finds

This weekend Sue and I decided to go on a bit of a treasure hunt and explored a local swap meet. Overall we were a bit disappointed in what we found but right at the end Sue spied this little gem that made the whole excursion worthwhile! Now we have a fun new project - sand, repaint and get this fixed up for M's room!

Day 87 - 89: Pardon our absence

Sue Sue is in town and we're having way too much fun to update the blog! This weekend we packed in happy hour (as witnessed in this picture), a trip to Legoland, a birthday party, dinner at the beach and a whole lot of smiles. Please excuse us as we go back to enjoying our Sue Sue. I'm sure we'll have lots more updates soon!

Day 86: Fun on a Friday

Today was a fantastic day. I met with our landscapers and they showed me the design for our new backyard (Beautiful! More on that later!) Sue Sue came to town and is staying for an entire week (more joy!) And Bloomingdale's is having their semi-annual friends and family event (always a reason to celebrate!)

Today I discovered two amazing brands - Maje and Sandro. Maybe I've been hiding under a rock and am the last to know, but these two labels are designed by French sisters Judith Milgrom and Evelyne Chetrite respectively, and are incredible. I literally loved every piece on the floor and had to stop myself at two new dresses. Everything they design makes you feel pretty, and really, who doesn't want to feel pretty?! Wishing everyone a happy and frivolously fun weekend!!!

Day 85: Eating our greens

 Evidence that M&P ate these things...and liked them!

I'm sure all of you have seen kale chips at your local grocery store as of late. I'm a big kale lover in general but wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I went online, looked up a "make your own kale chips" recipe and tried it out today. I won't say they changed my life but they're definitely a good crispy snack and a nice alternative to popcorn or pretzels. The best part of this experiment is that M&P love the things! I'm a little shocked but very pleased to replace Pirate's Booty with a toasted vegetable crisp!

Day 84: Car talk

M&P must have had a conversation at school today about "stranger danger" because this was our discussion tonight during the drive home -

M: Mom, you NEVER talk to strangers. And you never let them in your house.
P: No, that be dangerous!
M: And you NEVER let them in your backyard.
P: No!
M: And you NEVER let them in if they ring the doorbell!
P: No! 
M: And you NEVER talk to coyotes. They would bite your head off!
P: Ooooh! That's scary! And NEVER talk to lions or giraffes or...
M: ...or sharks! No, that's dangerous! They have big teeth!

We may not be going to the zoo anytime soon but at least we've got the general idea down.

Day 83: Wishing away

I remember my Mom always telling me that when someone hurt my feelings, it hurt her so much more than it hurt me. At the time I was only a  16-year-old girl with a broken heart. I couldn't fathom what that must feel like for her. Tonight, I find myself feeling like I might be starting to understand.

Right now I'm sitting and listening to M cry himself to sleep, telling me he wishes it were fall so his Daddy would be home again. Hearing my little boy wish his summer away is breaking my heart and there is absolutely nothing I can do. I think the feeling of being so powerless is one of the worst. I wish I could tell him that I'll wave my magic wand, sprinkle some pixie dust and bring Dan home. I wish I could fast forward to the day when we meet Dan at the airport and finally get on with our lives. But I can't do any of those things, and so I'm left feeling a little helpless and a lot sad that I can't make things better for my sweet baby boy.

Day 82: A Monsterous problem

Dan is not a coffee drinker - he loves the smell but can't stand the taste. He used to drink Mountain Dew in the morning but a few years ago decided to give it up for lent. Somewhere in the midst of his 40-day ordeal Dan decided to pick up a new habit - drinking Monster energy drinks. Now, the point of lent is supposed to be giving something up not picking up new habits that are even worse! So that backfired big time, which leads us to our present day dilemma.

When Dan first arrived in Afghanistan they had Monster on base (small victory!) In recent weeks, they've started cutting back on supplies (read: no more multiple dinner options, no more bevy of beverages, no more Monster.) Now Dan's only source of caffeine-laden happiness has been ripped from his hands (crying shame.) Therefore, it's up to me to figure out a way to smuggle Monster to my poor husband. I tried to send some in his last care package but chickened out when the postal worker questioned if I was shipping carbonated liquids. I think I'm going to wrap everything in plastic bags and see what happens.

Dan - hang in there! Your emergency Monster relief package is coming soon! I promise!