This morning I got the phone call from the hubster with news I totally was NOT expecting to get....
He called to inform me that he was selected to go to Diego Garcia for a year... unaccompanied... meaning... without us.
Even though my heart has sunk.... I am still SO thankful and grateful that he will be going there versus so many of the other places he could have been sent....
Now the decisions of what I will do for that year with me and the 4 kidlets and 2 pupsters...
As of right now it looks like I will be moving down to Florida to be near my parents.
I am looking at renting a place in a decent area with a fenced yard and isnt too far from my parents. AND it has to have a decent school... this will give me something to scope out a bit more once we get down there the end of this month.
Breathe.... phew... I wasnt expecting he would get these orders. (although we dont have them in our hands)
This plan
is still scribbled in mud and anything can happen.... looks like October was indeed a "no more".....
Showing posts with label Chris. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chris. Show all posts
Monday, November 9, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Where in the World?
Where in the world is this place?
Do you know?
Have you been there?
Do you know anyone who has ever been there?
What is it called?
How long do you think you would survive there?
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Wearing babies is HOT!
ESPECIALLY for DAD's!!!!!!!!!!
I love when my husband wears our son... even at 22 months old I can't get enough of it. The Ergo has been our greatest blessing. A friend of mine let me borrow it and I used to wear Kiley in it when she was nearly 4. And I would push the baby in the stroller (or vice versa)
Now our little man is eager to climb aboard and go for a ride. You cant even tell when he is on you! I was not able to return the Ergo to my friend before she moved to Japan... so, we still have it but it is still getting used to the max! I love that both my husband and myself have mastered getting our son in the Ergo without anyone around to assist. I recommend the Ergo to ANYONE! It has been a life saver for us and will be making the trip to Florida next month! ,
Go check out the girly twins on their daddy and mommy... There is NOTHING like a baby toddler wearing.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Bell Family Updates
ME: I am trying to plan to get down to fleet and family service to figure out how I could go about getting some schooling done to become an RN. I graduated from URI in 1999 with a BS in Human Development and Family Studies but I am really drawn to medical stuff. It is all I ever have on TV. Chris always picks on me about having "The Placenta Channel" on all the time. So, I am hoping to find out something about how I can go about getting more education. Chris will be out of the Navy in a little over 5 years... so that is my time frame! Even though we will most likely be moving next July, I want to start getting the ball rolling in my education. (Again!)
I have my follow up on the 24th. I have not been taking my pills like I should be. I keep forgetting and have been trying to tweak a schedule that will work for me and bring me the most comfort. They arent major pills that I have to take. I do still take my Synthroid religiously but I need to put the Os-Cal (cant be taken with Synthroid) 2 times a day and the Prilosec. I have been getting some multivitamins in there as well. I was trying the Synthroid in the morning but it was making me feel like I had a swollen throat. BUT it also could have been a bout of allergies. Who knows, I am more comfortable with taking it at night. I have been anxious about the start of school and how our schedules will work out with the girls being at different schools. I have been at the base clinic over and over for appointments for everyone. I think they should have an open slot just for the Bell Family. I am getting a lot accomplished though. Slowly but surely.
Chris: This man makes me crazy. In a good way! He CLEP'd 9 Credits last week! SEriously?! This man has the elephant brain in this house! He is going to try and get Technical writing done today. If he passes, he will have 12 credits in a WEEK. That is like completing one semester in college in A WEEK.... He even CLEP'd BIOLOGY... WHAT?! GOOD LORD... I am so envious of his brains... but so proud of him. He is hoping to get his bachelors within the next year or so. He has the hard courses left... such as Calculus and what not. He is still really bummed that he didnt make Chief but is already getting his ducks in a row to hopefully make it next year. We should be able to start looking at orders for his next job in October. It will most likely end up including a move to the Norfolk, VA area.
Ashley: Her Lyme test came back negative but she is still having to take Doxycycline for the Ehrlichiosis. She had taken Amoxicillin in the beginning of the summer for the possibility of Lyme when we had removed the tick and she was symptomatic. They never ran blood work. Because her lymph nodes in her head were still enlarged after 4 weeks I had made the follow up appointment with an AWESOME doc who sent AShley for some labs which is where we found out the HGE was still high in her blood... so the antibiotic had not wiped it out. She is so excited about starting the 4th grade even though she is not accepted in to the Magnet school yet. I am hoping the schedules all work out and she can stay put if that is what she decides should her name make it to the top of the magnet school list. This should be our last year here and changing schools mid year is kind of silly. I guess you could say Ashley is our "Easy" one although she is getting that Tween attitude. I just got the book Care and Keeping of YOU from Paperback Swap at the recommendation of some of the moms on the MckForum. She is getting to the age where her peers are talking beyond their understanding and I am going to have to start explaining a bunch of this stuff to her... and most likely Sydney, at the same time. So, we have some reading to do!!! She just finished reading Coraline which was a cool comic book type book. I have to schedule her annual eye exam but I will not be returning to Pearle Vision so I have to look in to somewhere that I can bring them.
Sydney: I have been trying to set up a PPT... The school of course has not returned my phone call. The Neurologist and her Pediatrician recommended I set this up. She will also be meeting with a Sensory Integration person or something like that and also be getting a Psychological Evaluation done. We are also going to be getting her... hmmm... Good lord. Something else. Oh, Speech evalauation. Her report card came back at the end of the year saying she wasnt meeting grade level expectations in several different areas. So, we are going to see what is going on considering the Epilepsy and what not. And of course the year with the horrible teacher. Whatever. I am so confused as to what I should be doing and if it is going to be fruitless at the end of this journey. We will know her IQ! HAHA! So, it wont be completely fruitless. Either way, it is best we make sure everything is ok. If she had a great class this year I bet you we wouldnt even be having this journey! We have the Exceptional Family Member papers getting filled out and we will be waiting for all these other results to come back before we submit them. She wants to go to the Magnet school next year but chances are she will not be at the top of the lottery list before the beginning of the school year. Once again, we will be moving after this school year and dont know if it is worth it to move her mid year should her name come up. Once again, it all depends on the classroom situation. If I am not happy with it, then I would contamplate pulling her regardless of the fact we will possibly move next summer. She is still pretty happy go lucky!! Oh, and she is now also on Periactin for allergies which the ped thinks will work on Sydney's headaches when school starts. She has not complained much of having headaches since school got out.... coincidence? She also takes Nasonex and Singulair... they all have a specific job too which is why the periactin was added. So far so good.... it could make her tired and hungry so she takes it at bed time.
Kiley: We are getting her ready to start Kindergarten!! I am nervous. I am sad. I dont know if this is what I should be doing but the Pre-K was NOT enough for her. I know she will do ok. I am OK with it if she needs to repeat K next year because of her age or not meeting the expectations for the grade. I am worried about her getting on the bus by herself and crying. I dont want to watch the bus pull away with her with tears in her eyes. I wish one of the girls was also in the magnet school. I could pull her back to the local school but GOSH DARNIT... my kids deserve the BEST School in the District with the BEST teachers in the district. Why shouldnt my kids have the BEST equipped school and the BEST supplies... they have a nurse practitioner on staff, they have to walk every day with their class because it is a Wellness school... MY KIDS deserve it.. ALL of them. I wish there was some way I could get ALL of them in to the school before the beginning of the school year. Calling the schools now is NOT worth it... nobody is there. She has been having warts burned on her fingers which is not fun for her... and we found ANOTHER one on the bottom of her big toe. Grrr. I want them GONE. I dont want her to have anymore. I want the treatments to WORK. Ugh. We go back next week for her third time. First time for her toe.
CJ: He is in the QTEST kid contest for the local radio station and I think you should all vote for him a million times! He is # 102 in the 0-2 year category. I dont know what we would win but Gosh darnit.... whatever it is... we dont care, we just think he IS THE CUTEST! (except when having a melt down and decides to smack his head on the floor on purpose) PLEASE Vote for our little guy! Oh, and his name under his picture is Robert... because Robert is his REAL name!
He is going to miss his sissies when they all go to school. What am I going to do with just him?!
I went and had his exceptional family member papers filled out today for his Eczema and Allergies (peanut).... the doc wants him to go back to the dermatologist because of all the recent flare ups on my baby boy. I also have to get more aggressive with the lotion but he seems to hate me doing it.. I dont have eczema so I dont know if I am hurting him... he seems pretty uncomfortable when I do it and of course using hydrocortizone like it is going out of style isnt so cool either! He is finally getting better at being laid down in his bed to go to sleep without crying like a madman. He isnt too happy when we do but is settling down much better. He is asleep on my bed now for his nap because he was DIAPERLESS this morning. So, it begins!
I hope you are all having a wonderful Summer... mine has been full of medical appointments. As you can tell!!! School will start soon and we have entered the time of "No More's"
Meaning... No more August 11th's in Connecticut. No More 1st days of school in CT.... That is how we will be rolling until next July......
I have my follow up on the 24th. I have not been taking my pills like I should be. I keep forgetting and have been trying to tweak a schedule that will work for me and bring me the most comfort. They arent major pills that I have to take. I do still take my Synthroid religiously but I need to put the Os-Cal (cant be taken with Synthroid) 2 times a day and the Prilosec. I have been getting some multivitamins in there as well. I was trying the Synthroid in the morning but it was making me feel like I had a swollen throat. BUT it also could have been a bout of allergies. Who knows, I am more comfortable with taking it at night. I have been anxious about the start of school and how our schedules will work out with the girls being at different schools. I have been at the base clinic over and over for appointments for everyone. I think they should have an open slot just for the Bell Family. I am getting a lot accomplished though. Slowly but surely.
Chris: This man makes me crazy. In a good way! He CLEP'd 9 Credits last week! SEriously?! This man has the elephant brain in this house! He is going to try and get Technical writing done today. If he passes, he will have 12 credits in a WEEK. That is like completing one semester in college in A WEEK.... He even CLEP'd BIOLOGY... WHAT?! GOOD LORD... I am so envious of his brains... but so proud of him. He is hoping to get his bachelors within the next year or so. He has the hard courses left... such as Calculus and what not. He is still really bummed that he didnt make Chief but is already getting his ducks in a row to hopefully make it next year. We should be able to start looking at orders for his next job in October. It will most likely end up including a move to the Norfolk, VA area.
Ashley: Her Lyme test came back negative but she is still having to take Doxycycline for the Ehrlichiosis. She had taken Amoxicillin in the beginning of the summer for the possibility of Lyme when we had removed the tick and she was symptomatic. They never ran blood work. Because her lymph nodes in her head were still enlarged after 4 weeks I had made the follow up appointment with an AWESOME doc who sent AShley for some labs which is where we found out the HGE was still high in her blood... so the antibiotic had not wiped it out. She is so excited about starting the 4th grade even though she is not accepted in to the Magnet school yet. I am hoping the schedules all work out and she can stay put if that is what she decides should her name make it to the top of the magnet school list. This should be our last year here and changing schools mid year is kind of silly. I guess you could say Ashley is our "Easy" one although she is getting that Tween attitude. I just got the book Care and Keeping of YOU from Paperback Swap at the recommendation of some of the moms on the MckForum. She is getting to the age where her peers are talking beyond their understanding and I am going to have to start explaining a bunch of this stuff to her... and most likely Sydney, at the same time. So, we have some reading to do!!! She just finished reading Coraline which was a cool comic book type book. I have to schedule her annual eye exam but I will not be returning to Pearle Vision so I have to look in to somewhere that I can bring them.
Sydney: I have been trying to set up a PPT... The school of course has not returned my phone call. The Neurologist and her Pediatrician recommended I set this up. She will also be meeting with a Sensory Integration person or something like that and also be getting a Psychological Evaluation done. We are also going to be getting her... hmmm... Good lord. Something else. Oh, Speech evalauation. Her report card came back at the end of the year saying she wasnt meeting grade level expectations in several different areas. So, we are going to see what is going on considering the Epilepsy and what not. And of course the year with the horrible teacher. Whatever. I am so confused as to what I should be doing and if it is going to be fruitless at the end of this journey. We will know her IQ! HAHA! So, it wont be completely fruitless. Either way, it is best we make sure everything is ok. If she had a great class this year I bet you we wouldnt even be having this journey! We have the Exceptional Family Member papers getting filled out and we will be waiting for all these other results to come back before we submit them. She wants to go to the Magnet school next year but chances are she will not be at the top of the lottery list before the beginning of the school year. Once again, we will be moving after this school year and dont know if it is worth it to move her mid year should her name come up. Once again, it all depends on the classroom situation. If I am not happy with it, then I would contamplate pulling her regardless of the fact we will possibly move next summer. She is still pretty happy go lucky!! Oh, and she is now also on Periactin for allergies which the ped thinks will work on Sydney's headaches when school starts. She has not complained much of having headaches since school got out.... coincidence? She also takes Nasonex and Singulair... they all have a specific job too which is why the periactin was added. So far so good.... it could make her tired and hungry so she takes it at bed time.
Kiley: We are getting her ready to start Kindergarten!! I am nervous. I am sad. I dont know if this is what I should be doing but the Pre-K was NOT enough for her. I know she will do ok. I am OK with it if she needs to repeat K next year because of her age or not meeting the expectations for the grade. I am worried about her getting on the bus by herself and crying. I dont want to watch the bus pull away with her with tears in her eyes. I wish one of the girls was also in the magnet school. I could pull her back to the local school but GOSH DARNIT... my kids deserve the BEST School in the District with the BEST teachers in the district. Why shouldnt my kids have the BEST equipped school and the BEST supplies... they have a nurse practitioner on staff, they have to walk every day with their class because it is a Wellness school... MY KIDS deserve it.. ALL of them. I wish there was some way I could get ALL of them in to the school before the beginning of the school year. Calling the schools now is NOT worth it... nobody is there. She has been having warts burned on her fingers which is not fun for her... and we found ANOTHER one on the bottom of her big toe. Grrr. I want them GONE. I dont want her to have anymore. I want the treatments to WORK. Ugh. We go back next week for her third time. First time for her toe.
CJ: He is in the QTEST kid contest for the local radio station and I think you should all vote for him a million times! He is # 102 in the 0-2 year category. I dont know what we would win but Gosh darnit.... whatever it is... we dont care, we just think he IS THE CUTEST! (except when having a melt down and decides to smack his head on the floor on purpose) PLEASE Vote for our little guy! Oh, and his name under his picture is Robert... because Robert is his REAL name!
He is going to miss his sissies when they all go to school. What am I going to do with just him?!
I went and had his exceptional family member papers filled out today for his Eczema and Allergies (peanut).... the doc wants him to go back to the dermatologist because of all the recent flare ups on my baby boy. I also have to get more aggressive with the lotion but he seems to hate me doing it.. I dont have eczema so I dont know if I am hurting him... he seems pretty uncomfortable when I do it and of course using hydrocortizone like it is going out of style isnt so cool either! He is finally getting better at being laid down in his bed to go to sleep without crying like a madman. He isnt too happy when we do but is settling down much better. He is asleep on my bed now for his nap because he was DIAPERLESS this morning. So, it begins!
I hope you are all having a wonderful Summer... mine has been full of medical appointments. As you can tell!!! School will start soon and we have entered the time of "No More's"
Meaning... No more August 11th's in Connecticut. No More 1st days of school in CT.... That is how we will be rolling until next July......
Friday, July 31, 2009
What More...
I dont know what else my husband could have done outside of stomping through the desert.....
He didnt make Chief this year..... Guess we wait and see what happens next year.
He didnt make Chief this year..... Guess we wait and see what happens next year.
The stress of it all...
is eating me away... one little anxious chunk at a time.
We are waiting for the results of who will be the lucky Chief Selects (E-7) in the Navy. The people who make board (pass the test) in January then have their records sent to a group of big whigs who convene in Millington, TN. Those big whigs then go through the records and determine who will become a Chief Select and later be pinned as a Chief in the Navy.
This is Chris' 4th time making board (he has taken the exam 6 times, 2 times not making board)
This could mean a variety of things.... if he makes it or not.....
We could stay in CT... we might end up moving to Virginia. Next July that is...
It is all up in the air. and it is KILLING me waiting. There are so many rumors as to when these results will be out. Most people are guessing they will come out today because of scheduling events that take place in the next 6 weeks. Some people say next friday (I DONT THINK MY MIND can last that long).... some people say Tuesday.
Why do I think he WONT make Chief?
*he has not been deployed in a long long time. And being in the Corpsman rating now, that is a huge thing. On the flip side of that, last year he was not considered deployable because of medical issues (which come to find out never existed).... which have since been cleared up and he IS deployable. ANY time something does come up for a deployment to the sand box areas of the world, they deny the men/women the orders because of manning issues. So, here we sit with no deployment on the records.
* his test score was not spectacular although it was passing and that makes you eligible to make Board. .... the test.... yeah... see.... Chris is a corpsman. technically speaking. BUT... he does not have the same duties as a corpsman we would all think of.... he does not have any involvement with patient Care. Chris is a BioMedical Technician... He REPAIRS hospital machinery, equiptment etc. He has a GREAT job... but... he does not do typical corpsman duties. I think there needs to be a seperate rating for him. The exam... DOES NOT have ANY questions on it regarding Biomedtech duties. BUT.. it does have Pharmacy, Radiology, Dental etc. Umm... I see a problem... Chris doesnt have ANYTHING to do with that stuff. Although, he did AWESOME on the exam on the portions dealing with Patient Care and First aid and what not.
Those are both 2 huge yucks for him.
NOW... the things that my husband is AWESOME for...
*out of 48 1st class persons in Naval Health Care New England... my husband is ranked #4... under 3 Career Counselors (Dont even get me started on that)...... So, outside of people who are the Master Chief's Right hand man.... he is #1.... for "Normal" First Class'
*He makes Sailor of the Quarter for the NACC (Where he works) at least one time per year
*He made Sailor of the quarter for NHCNE (Naval Health Care New England)
*He was up for Bio Med Tech of the year for the Navy (I THINK he came in 2nd, I cant be 100% on that one though)
*He is working towards his associates degree in his "free" time
*He completed his apprenticeship program
*He received an award (ribbon) for Volunteer Time
*He has improved on his PRT (Physical Test)
*His Evaluations have been phenomenal
I could go on and on... as to why my hubby is the awesomest.... and deserving...
and we cant forget that next year he will be going back to sea duty or possibly being deployed once his time here in Groton is up.....
If he MAKES Chief, they might not have to worry about getting a NEW Chief for his job.. because we could just stay put....
I already popped 2 motrin for the headache... and pushing the numbers and ideas around in my head still isnt helping. COME ON NAVY... LET US KNOW... this is a slow and torturous DEATH they are giving me. UGH....
Please, if you can... cross your fingers for My husband and our family..... (AND TAMMI's TOO!)
this is a big deal...
w
We are waiting for the results of who will be the lucky Chief Selects (E-7) in the Navy. The people who make board (pass the test) in January then have their records sent to a group of big whigs who convene in Millington, TN. Those big whigs then go through the records and determine who will become a Chief Select and later be pinned as a Chief in the Navy.
This is Chris' 4th time making board (he has taken the exam 6 times, 2 times not making board)
This could mean a variety of things.... if he makes it or not.....
We could stay in CT... we might end up moving to Virginia. Next July that is...
It is all up in the air. and it is KILLING me waiting. There are so many rumors as to when these results will be out. Most people are guessing they will come out today because of scheduling events that take place in the next 6 weeks. Some people say next friday (I DONT THINK MY MIND can last that long).... some people say Tuesday.
Why do I think he WONT make Chief?
*he has not been deployed in a long long time. And being in the Corpsman rating now, that is a huge thing. On the flip side of that, last year he was not considered deployable because of medical issues (which come to find out never existed).... which have since been cleared up and he IS deployable. ANY time something does come up for a deployment to the sand box areas of the world, they deny the men/women the orders because of manning issues. So, here we sit with no deployment on the records.
* his test score was not spectacular although it was passing and that makes you eligible to make Board. .... the test.... yeah... see.... Chris is a corpsman. technically speaking. BUT... he does not have the same duties as a corpsman we would all think of.... he does not have any involvement with patient Care. Chris is a BioMedical Technician... He REPAIRS hospital machinery, equiptment etc. He has a GREAT job... but... he does not do typical corpsman duties. I think there needs to be a seperate rating for him. The exam... DOES NOT have ANY questions on it regarding Biomedtech duties. BUT.. it does have Pharmacy, Radiology, Dental etc. Umm... I see a problem... Chris doesnt have ANYTHING to do with that stuff. Although, he did AWESOME on the exam on the portions dealing with Patient Care and First aid and what not.
Those are both 2 huge yucks for him.
NOW... the things that my husband is AWESOME for...
*out of 48 1st class persons in Naval Health Care New England... my husband is ranked #4... under 3 Career Counselors (Dont even get me started on that)...... So, outside of people who are the Master Chief's Right hand man.... he is #1.... for "Normal" First Class'
*He makes Sailor of the Quarter for the NACC (Where he works) at least one time per year
*He made Sailor of the quarter for NHCNE (Naval Health Care New England)
*He was up for Bio Med Tech of the year for the Navy (I THINK he came in 2nd, I cant be 100% on that one though)
*He is working towards his associates degree in his "free" time
*He completed his apprenticeship program
*He received an award (ribbon) for Volunteer Time
*He has improved on his PRT (Physical Test)
*His Evaluations have been phenomenal
I could go on and on... as to why my hubby is the awesomest.... and deserving...
and we cant forget that next year he will be going back to sea duty or possibly being deployed once his time here in Groton is up.....
If he MAKES Chief, they might not have to worry about getting a NEW Chief for his job.. because we could just stay put....
I already popped 2 motrin for the headache... and pushing the numbers and ideas around in my head still isnt helping. COME ON NAVY... LET US KNOW... this is a slow and torturous DEATH they are giving me. UGH....
Please, if you can... cross your fingers for My husband and our family..... (AND TAMMI's TOO!)
this is a big deal...
w
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Regarding our Cape Cod Vacation
We are not going. Well.. not that we arent going but we are not going the week we expected to be going. Chris is having surgery on his hand on friday for a cyst (ganglion?) in the palm of his hand. He was supposed to have the surgery on June 19th which would have given him plenty of time for post op stuff but since there was an emergency situation with someone else who goes to the practice my husband does, he had to be pushed back until July 3rd. So. The week we would have been in Cape Cod was the main week for all his post op. appointments. He will be out of work for at least 2 weeks so we will maybe do some day excursions but since he cant get in the ocean and/or sand... we may be limited but I am sure we will think of some things to do!
We cant put any plans in stone because the Chief results come out late July/early August and we cant be away if he does make it. I dont know if I feel he will make it... or he wont make it... I dont know. I dont want to get my hopes up to be let down... so, I will be pleasantly surprised if he does make it. He has his ducks in a row to make it but the test score is most likely the only thing that would make it so that he isnt the one chosen. Ah well... no vaca to Cape Cod.. maybe a day trip later in the summer or early spring!
Night All!
We cant put any plans in stone because the Chief results come out late July/early August and we cant be away if he does make it. I dont know if I feel he will make it... or he wont make it... I dont know. I dont want to get my hopes up to be let down... so, I will be pleasantly surprised if he does make it. He has his ducks in a row to make it but the test score is most likely the only thing that would make it so that he isnt the one chosen. Ah well... no vaca to Cape Cod.. maybe a day trip later in the summer or early spring!
Night All!
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