Blogging Opie Version 2.0

I has been 2 years since I last blogged. So much has changed here....Lily is an active, vibrant 5 year old who just started kindergarten. Hannah is a freshman in high school. She plays the flute and bells in the marching band. She is taking advanced geometry as a freshman as well as advanced geometry. Paul is facing a career change after 14 years in the Navy. We have decided to persue a civilian life and hope to continue to work with the Navy as a contractor. I am doing well, my fibromyalgia symptoms have faded to the background and I have lost 106 pounds following a RNY gastric bypass in December 2009. I know that despite all the changes we are facing we will emerge powerful and successful.

T minus 5 days

I have been away too long and the summer flew by. Our days have been spent playing outside and swimming at Grandma's. While we were wasting away the days, Paul has traversed the globe and will be home in 5 days. Apart from a very short 2 week leave in March, Paul has been gone since January.
Nearly nine months away has been hard and the girls and on me. We are no longer the trio he left, we are stronger than we were before. Lily is no longer a little girl. She turned three, has grown a few inches and speaks like she is debating congress. Hannah on the other hand has embraced adolescence and all that comes with it.
We are looking forward to reconnecting with Paul but are scared at the same time. Please wish us well in this transition

Comic-Con Mania

When you are a science fiction geek and marry a RPG geek you have beautiful children who lust for all things geek. Hannah would be the geeklet in question. She has finally embraced her birthright and loves all things geek. For example, she plays D&D, reads science fiction and loves Harry Potter.She loves Dragon movies and Star Wars. She is a 100% certifible geek.
In honor of the transformation my brother Nick and His wife Megan, both geeks in their own right are taking her to Comic-Con this weekend. We have been before but I don't think that she was very interested.She is extremely excited.Lets all wish her well for her first foray into geek nirvana.

Summer has arrived

My neighborhood is alive with summer. The kids are out till dark, someone barbeques every night and the ice cream trucks are plentiful. We have the truck that sells sub par novelty treats, one that is a little better quality and the perfect mobile ice cream in the world. Ms. Frosty lives up to her name creating high quality soft serve that may be the best I've ever had. The girls know her theme song by heart and Lily declares all other ice cream trucks as "yucky ice cream lady"

Hannah finishes the sixth grade this Friday. I can remember the sixth grade so clearly that I have been able to feel some of the confusion and pain she has felt this year and I would never wish that feeling on anyone. She emerged a little taller, not much heavier but grown in ways that defy measurement. I am so proud of her.

Lily has been transforming before our eyes and is no longer the baby girl that Paul kissed goodbye pre-deployment. Her new favorite expression is "five more minutes" and " OH MY GOD" both are preferred to F*** which was the last one. She also has decided that she is too big for diapers and wears panties like a big girl. We took the no pressure method and she really has potty trained herself.

Paul has been gone most of the year and I am filled with anxiety about his return. This is our third deployment in nearly 10 years of marriage but each one feels like the first.

Hope you all are having a great summer.

Waiting

Are you waiting? For something, anything to pull you out of who and what you are this minute. I feel as is I am waiting for the life I am supposed to have and the wait is driving me crazy. I know that living in the moment is healthy and enlightened but I can't help but wonder if after all the wait the outcome will be what I need it to be. Or if it will be another in a long line of maybe's and disappointments. Please help me face the future and not get lost in waiting. Thanks in advance for the support.

Spinning in circles

These were my two winning skeins from the 2007 Del Mar Fair. The brown is colonial wool from Coppermoose and took a third place ribbon. The purple is a colonial wool also from Coppermoose and it received and honorable mention. I have only been spinning on the wheel since February and on the spindle since January of 2007. I was reluctant to enter the fair but my classmates in my spinning class insisted. Since these were spun I have been working with a lucious Soysilk and wool blend and am about to start on some 100% bamboo in a colorway called Spring Garden.

surburban sellout or new age realist?

If I were to buy a pair of Crocs whould that make me a sellout? I have worn Birkenstocks nearly everyday for the past fifteen years. On my off days I wear docs or converse, anything else just feels wrong. In spinning this week Dawn let walk in her Crocs a bit and they are very comfortable. Plus I think shoes with ample toe space are the only way to go because after fifteen years with my ever loyal Birks my feet can't take much squeezing.

Lily has taken a shine to my spinning wheel.
Hannah in the Farb concert

Hannah post broken wrist and Lily being careful of sissy's big band-aid

Photos that prove I do in fact own a camera and have children.

I am going to attempt the Spinning Tour De Fleece 2007. The goal is to spin every day of the Tour de France. I am going to focus on spinning finer singles and long draw. I also am hoping to spin some SoySilk.

Beans, Books and Broken Wrists

The last month has been full of new thing and old things made new. I finally figured out how to grow my own bean sprouts at home instead of buying them at Henry's.I returned to the public library after a many, many year break and found it to be full of wonderous things for all of us. Hannah broke her wrist riding her scooter, just goes to show why we avoid sports at all costs.

I love fresh bean sprouts raw with a little sea salt. I always kill any green thing I try to grow so I thought for sure I would kill the beans too but after a trip to the grossly overpriced, overhyped OB food co-op I found the jar complete with directions and some small pink beans in the bulk foods and gave it a go.Success and crunchy, sweet beans.

As for books, I am in love with the library. I read like a fiend and always have a few in process. I just checked out a great book about off- loom weaving and a few wonderful vegetarian cookbooks. Hannah checked out a few novels and waited on HP 6 until summer vacation so she can give it her undivided attention. I swear I am never letting my husband spend anymore money at barnes and nobel without checking the local library first.
Hannah broke her wrist and it itchs like hell. The cast hould stay on for a few more weeks and then hopefully it will be healed.