What do you send to Camp Victory?

If you had a friend in Iraq, in the Red Zone at Camp Victory, what would you send?

He said since it's like a small city there, he doesn't need anything. I don't buy it. I don't want him to miss home more...so sentimental crap is out. He is a huge reader and movie watcher. Movies he has in abundance. Books, I know he has access to (just not sure how).

He has a very wry and offbeat sense of humor...a former teacher and IT geek, he's simply one of the best guys our family knows, and Chee has known him forever. (If we could only find him a nice single girl...)

Any ideas?

*Mikey - if you're reading this, and you better be, comment and let me know what to pack up for you!

We miss you terribly. Monkee says thanks for the Camel. She has yet to name him, but took him to school today to show off. I'll send a pic soon.

In the meantime, these carrots are for you...

When all you can do is bitch about everything...

(...and for you gestapo-types, I am not talking about anything work-related.) I'm talking about a frustrated 6-month old. All she wants to do is crawl, walk, run, already! Oh, and feed herself with a spoon (she has her pincher-grasp down already), turn on faucets, open cabinets, wash her own feet, be like her sister! etc... But what she can mainly do is tell everyone how annoyed she is by her lack of mobility - rolling is just not doing it for her.

Poor baby. I feel for her. But at this rate, that child is going to be crawling by 7-months and walking by 10 (or earlier). In the meantime, our household has learned to tell the difference between "I'm hungry","I'm sleepy", and "I'm pissed off because I can't do what I want, when I want!" Along with this goes the ever-present, "carry me, carry me, carry me", which is always a favorite. And her pick-me-up arms are coming along nicely.

In the meantime, Monkee is not complaining about her sister's squawks (thank god), and has turned my old Scientific Calculator (Texas Instruments) into a walkie-talkie. Only calls out and ordering invisible friends around, people and animals.
"Michael Catlink, Michael Catlink, you're on the move...your cat bath is ready." "John Lenzo, you're on the move - time for play gym." "Maddie, Maddie, John Lenzo needs you." "John Stewart, time for play gym." (you think she'd heard us talking about The Daily Show?)
"John Dorfin, Joh Dorfin, are you there? John Dorfin is not here, move him off the list."

I am loving listening to this. It reminds me so much of that Blackberry Curve commercial (which I always think is a FedEx ad). Poor Callahan. In our case here, poor John Dorfin - whoever he is, he didn't make her "list". Welcome to Saturday night at our house.

Moving on...

So lots of news...lost a job, but looking like I'll be gaining a much better one soon.

Today I completely enjoyed a quiet day without hurry, or anything else detrimental to my good mood. Checked facebook, ran errands, did a bit of laundry. Picked up Monkee from school and got ice cream. Went home and took both kids for a walk. Pretty much perfect. And did I mention, no hurrying? Ah yes, that. No phone calls or email waiting for me at home. Bliss.

So, on with my adventures. I have several interviews set up...the main one I'm planning for is tomorrow - it's the last of several, so here's hoping it goes uber-well. Also meeting with recruiters, and have another interesting interview opp. later this month. That's IF this meeting tomorrow doesn't run like it should. So we'll see.

I just feel blessed to have the meetings I've had -- the same week one door closed (with so much finality it made my ears ring), another, prettier door with bright, shiny, stable hinges has swung open wide. Ah, progress.

On other fronts, Little is 6 1/2 months, trying to crawl like crazy, grabbing everything within her reach and eating her first solids with her three little teeth. So big already - makes me want to cry. Monkee is still an excellent big sis - we try to give her individual attention on a regular basis. She's a smart one...she is always a step ahead of us, so we're good. She turns 5 in May. Agh. Now that seems crazy. Seeing Little with all Monkee's old toys reminds us daily of when Monkee was a wee one. She loves stories of "when she was a baby." Not much jealousy - she's just resigned to having to share her space and us.

We've decided to switch her school, again. Poor kid. We're just not happy with the place she is now...every school has its issues, it has just come down to what issues we, as parents, have some control over. So we're moving her again. It took months to get her used to the new school. I'm dreading the change, but its what's best.

Cross your fingers and toes for me - I need to get the job thing settled.
In the meantime, here's hoping for more sunny days I can spend outside with the kiddlings.