Slice of Life

I'm not sure when Hannah started pulling her shirt up to put her finger in her belly button while she sucks her thumb, but I've caught her doing it twice today! What enables a little kid to come up with such a combination? I've watched her growing fascination with her belly button, which is very common in babies her age, but when I picked her up from church and she was walking around with her right thumb in her mouth and her left fingers in her belly button with shirt up, I realized this was the real deal. Tonight, she pulled her nightgown up and and started fingering her belly button before popping her thumb in when I laid her in her bed. It's just so funny what makes a kid think these little actions up. I know you'll find this hard to believe, but I remember being two and wondering to myself why some of my friends sucked their thumbs. So, I was in my favorite teacher's class, "Black Ann's" class (as a two year old, I had two teachers named Ann, and of course, being two years old, they were simply and accurately known to me and all the other children as "Black Ann" and "White Ann". I know that sounds terrible, but it was not at all, and she still watches the two year olds in the nursery and has watched Elizabeth and loved her dearly also.) and I decided to try out sucking my thumb and see what the big deal was. I couldn't imagine enjoying it, but I gave it a half-hearted try anyway. The Ritz crackers and apple juice were being prepared when I popped it in, awkwardly, and tried a few sucks. It really uncomfortable and yucky! And while I always wondered why so many kids did it, I knew it would just have to be something I had to accept not understanding. Little did I know that a virtual family of thumb-suckers had already begun passing through that church nursery years before and their were two more in the family that would go through Ann's class. Now they are my dear, dear husband and in-laws!
And now my two daughter's suck their thumbs. Good thing I learned to accept thumb-sucking at an early age! Elizabeth does hers with her "Baby Bear" a very well-loved pink and white bear with a long cap. She is only permitted baby bear at sleeping times. I know everyone worries about their teeth growing out in the front and their bites becoming messed up. I even saw a neat device in "One Step Ahead" magazine that puts a plastic piece over all but the tip of the thumb that is attached to a bracelet the child wears on their wrist. You know, I'm just not worried, though! None of my dear siblings-in-law had to wear braces because of their thumb-sucking! They may have had a few crooked teeth here and there (who doesn't?), but did not have the gross mouth problems associated with thumb-sucking. So, I'm not worried! They'll grow out of it! And they'll have a wonderful memory of being a child in a very distict and tangible way.
I know each and every one of you appreciates me sharing this little slice of our life and my thoughts about it. The bottom line is that children are a precious gift and they only are little for such a short time. It seems long at first, but in light of the rest of their life, it is very short! Handle your kiddos with great care and use the time wisely! And hug 'em and kiss 'em like crazy!

Waterscape Condominiums

Waterscape - the website sells itself! I love this place!

Rachel, the kids and I just spent our second vacation at this huge complex on Okaloosa Island, immediately of Hwy 98 after crossing into Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It is situated right on the Gulf and within a short drive to all of the main attractions in Destin and Fort Walton Beach.

The architects who designed this place had the upper-middle class family in mind and made sure accomodations would be comfortable and amenities plenty. The horseshoe shape of the building ensures that the main recreation area, complete with "Lazy River", waterfall, gym, BBQ grills, three pools, two hot tubs, and plenty of seating would be protected from most of the wind as well as a lot of the sun. Of course, being situated on the Gulf, the white sands of the resorts private stretch of beach are just a short walk over the wooden walkway. This proximity means that some rooms come with a grand view of the Gulf of Mexico. The architects designed every unit to angle towards the Gulf, so even rooms that are on the inside of the horseshoe on the bottom floor have a good chance of seeing the water. The resort offers free internet in seemingly all rooms (bring a Cat 5 cable just in case your unit doesn't provide it) and a free movie rental kiosk that allows each room to check out one free video at a time.

Here are some tips before visiting:
1. The best rooms for accessibility to the amenities are definitely the interior, bottom floor units. The largest units are closest to the Gulf, though they are a little further from the pools. When selecting a room, remember that the recreation area is two-levels, so the room you would want in the lower level recreation area would be a first level room. However, the upper level recreaction area has second level rooms opening out to it. The website has a terrific map that you can use to decide which room you want. Make sure you pick your own room with the ResortQuest agent when you call!

2. Go after labor day! These are very expensive condos and the rates drop significantly after the peak season. Plus, the amenities are more available due to a smaller crowd. You will lose some access to a lot of the fun things in Destin due to them closing their doors for the "winter", but you will not lose the sun or the relaxing.

3. Call the resort to see what they recommend bringing. Under the auspicious of saving money, they had not stocked the room we were in last time with enough toilet paper or liquid soap (powder dishwashing detergent is provided to wash the dishes in the full kitchen's dishwasher). I also recommend bringing laundry detergent for longer stays.

4. Because you are renting a condo, the management is not run like a resort. There is no daily maid service, room service, or a concierge. The front desk (when they are open) will help you with local area questions and local eateries will deliver.

5. Bring pool toys, floaties, etc as well as beach equipment (don't forget a kite!) Umbrellas and beach chairs are provided free of charge and kayaks are rented out. Also, it may be fun to have a cookout one night at one of the poolside BBQ grills, however an easier picnic with sandwiches is just as fun.

6. Sodas on site are expensive ($2/16.9 oz bottle)! Bring your own, but avoid glass bottles of any variety - they are not allowed on the pool deck.

7. Don't plan too many extra activities off-site. Relaxing by the pool or building sand castles is a perfect way for a family with young kids to save money while enjoying their time together. Other than eating out one meal a day, we went fishing from the pier, geo-caching, mini-golfing, and to a movie. I think anything else would have been too much for the time we were there (5 nights).

I hope you'll take my advice and stay there some day - it is really a nice place for young families to relax, refresh, and build memories.

In Him,
David

You Wait in Kuwait

That's about it in a nutshell. I am currently in Kuwait waiting for a flight back to Afghanistan (not that I'm too anxious to return). My stay on the way over for R&R (Rest and Reconstitution) was very short - less than a full 24, but the stay on the way back has already passed 48 hours with no end in sight. My best guess is that I'll be on my way within 72 hours.

There is plenty to do here, however. I've got mutliple sources of internet access (obviously), a 24-hour DFAC (Dining Facility), KFC, McD's, Subway, movies, books, games, and decent transient sleeping arrangements. All in all, it's not a bad gig. The best part is that the weather has been very mild for the area due to being here in mid-late fall versus the middle of the summer.

Still, I'd rather be at home. The 15 days with Rachel and the kids was all too short, though very well spent and very appreciated. Rachel and I spent a week by ourselves in a cabin on Lake Blue Ridge with our sailboat, Sundae, tied up at the dock just behind us. Then we picked up the kids and shared some very terrific time with both her family and mine before heading to Florida for a week on the beach at one of our favorite vacation destinations. The resort we stayed at is called Waterscape and it is wonderful. It has five different pools, two hot tubs, and it is right on the Gulf with it's own white sand beach.

Thank you all for your support and encouragement over the last year since getting tasked, trained, and deployed. We have a few months left before being fully reunited. Until then, I'll try to keep you up to date.

In Him,
David

Reunion & Relaxation!

(MP) -R&R
I'm not sure those words are exactly what R&R stand for, but that's what we had the last two weeks and it was such a wonderful time! (I'm not sure that anybody actually knows what R&R really stands for.) We will post pictures of the mountains and the beach soon!

The Soloist

Los Angeles stands out as the principle character in Joe Wright's "The Soloist". Dynamic and alarming, the city of angels even upstages solid performances by mega-stars Robert Downey, Jr., Jamie Foxx, and Catherine Keener. Maybe it was the low-quality, gritty copy I had available to watch and maybe it was my current state of mind (over 200 days since seeing Rachel and the kids), either way, this movie really effected me.

As it is, I am already a sucker for movies involving music. Some of my favorites include "Ray", "August Rush", "Moulin Rouge", and "Singin' in the Rain". In all of those movies the setting made the music. In "The Soloist", however, it was the other way around. The gentle hum of the cello or two-string violin made L.A. L.A. is often decisive - without warning - and yet it can subtly blend from that into an ironically-warm morning hue. This was evident throughout most scenes of the film as Jamie Foxx's portrayal of the schizophrenic homeless Julliard dropout painted the brushtrokes which eventually revealed the portait of a landscape destitute with homelessness and little hope for the lost and wary.

Ultimately, there is some redemption through friendships and Steve Lopez's (Downey) L.A. Times Column, which takes on an interesting role as the film's narrarator. It is not a quick film and not a "date film". Deliberately set time aside to watch this film and don't worry about popcorn or a bunch of friends. The only requirement I will impose is that you definitely watch it with a great sound system and full bass.

Camel. . .check.

Today a soldier who has been here for almost two years is celebrating an imminent return to the States. In honor of his service, an Afghan and his son brought this camel along a 12-hour journey to our camp for rides and pictures. So, I finally got a chance to ride a camel! As an engineer, I figured it would only be appropriate to ride it with proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), so I donned my hard hat and took a spin around the volleyball court.

I was very surprised at how quickly this huge animal raised up from sitting on its knees. I was also surprised I didn't fall off! See, only one set of legs goes up first and you need to watch your balance very carefully to make sure you don't fall off!

Anyway, I can finally add camel ride to my growing list of unique Afghan experiences!

In Him,

David

100 Posts!

(MP) - "His Side of the Blog" has reached a milestone - the 100th post! I guess if I had put a little more thought in it, I would have waited until day 200 away from the fam to publish my 100th post and probably made the post more 100-relevant. Oh well. Que sera sera!

Counting down. . .

In just a few short days I will be with Rachel again. Granted, leave will be very short and I will still have several months left to finish out my tour afterwards, yet I am still excited. All of my gifts have been bought and/or sent home and most of the preparations for what should be a very relaxing and rejuvenating two-week vacation spread out over three states are complete.

The last 198 days since leaving Montgomery have been fun, difficult, and rewarding altogether. The 15 days with Rachel, the kids, and our families will hopefully be, more than anything else, refreshing!

In Him,
David