Flat Daddies

Hey everyone!! We are well into New England now! It has rained almost the entire time...Yuck! But we have thankfully made it safely to Albany New York!!

This will be really short...I just had to write about the Flat Daddy! We were lucky enough to cross paths with Ann Mostellar and family yesterday. They were in Cooperstown New York for her nephew's little league finals...home of the baseball hall of fame...thrilling for Jeff and I who aren't big baseball fans...but we are Mostellar fans!! LOL Ann and the kids are doing well! They are really missing John who will have his R&R arriving on Duhn Duhn Duhn Duuuuuhn September 11th ...who planed that one???? And home for good sometime in February. We were sitting outside her fancy schmancy camper when Ann pulled out this giant cardboard cutout of John. It was hilarious!! James (who's almost 4) ran up and kissed all over it....almost broke my heart!! Anyhow...Ann explained that that was a "flat Daddy." Apparently there is a non profit organization that makes these flat Daddies for deployed soldiers families. It's made of a waterproof paper and it's bigger than life size. I loved it!! What a great idea!! I checked out the website, but only really quickly. I didn't see anything stating it's only for the US, I imagine commonwealth will be included. I wanted to make sure I got this info out to everyone so you too can have your flat Daddy! We even got our picture taken with "John" apparently he's going to be well photographed...don't want him to miss out on the anything while he's gone!! LOL

http://www.flatdaddies.com/

Just figured I better get that on here sooner than later or I'll for sure forget!! Gotta run...retail therapy at Hanna Andersson to do!!

On the way...

Well the Pederson's are on their way up north. After a long hard road...in pure Pederson fashion we finally got packed up and hit the road.

Our first problem came on the Monday morning prior to our packers arriving on Tuesday. Jeffy called the company to check on the arrival time of the packers the following morning and was told...Oh I'm sorry...no one told you....we have decided not to move you. Huh? After a few not so nice words and several calls to Ottawa we had another team lined up. They did arrive and seemed to pack well. I'll let you know for sure when we do the unpacking! All seemed well...until the loading team arrived on Thursday. The man who's the driver is a Newfoundlander who bears a striking resemblance to Papa Smurf. He walked in the house, did the initial walk through and immediately said, "we have a problem." Not exactly what we wanted to hear. Seems that the packers grossly underestimated the weight we have. They felt we had between 14 and 15 thousand pounds with the only large item being a projection TV. According to Papa Smurf we have around 19 thousand pounds and he felt that 4 sofas, 2 refrigerators, a freezer, a stove, and a gigantic bunk bed should have also been listed as "large" items. Who'd have thought??? Papa only had enough room on his truck for 14 thousand pounds...so 14 thousand pounds of our belongings were loaded up onto Papa Smurfs truck and are heading to Texas. The other 5 thousand pounds got loaded onto another truck heading for storage in Oklahoma City. Papa will drive to Texas unload the other two loads off his truck and then proceed back to OKC and pick up the rest of our stuff before heading to New Brunswick! We'll be very interested to see what actually makes it and what gets lost in transit! Oh yes and now our things are not due to arrive in New Brunswick until the 5th of August...Lovely!!

After three very long days packing/loading and a goodbye at ABC (Atlanta Bread Company) that Jeff referred to as an emotional blood bath...we were on our way to Kentucky. We stopped overnight in St. Louis and had a great visit with Aunt Wilma and Uncle Cotton on Saturday morning in Centralia. We made it here to Kentucky on Saturday evening. It was super because Tommy, Sheena and the boys were here and so was Tracy!!! The whole family came in for Maddy and Sarah's baptism! I simply can't tell you how great it was to see the whole family together! We did have the girls baptised and we also celebrated Sarah's first birthday a little early with cake, ice cream and presents. Michelle...you'll be glad to know that Gigi got Sarah her own little cake!! Tommy and Sheena had to be back in South Carolina on Monday and Tracy left for Ireland this morning. Now we are packing up and getting ready to head to New York. We have thoroughly enjoyed our stop here. In fact, Maddy just asked why we couldn't just stay here! I have to say I'm with her!! Oh yeah...Michelle I got a Kathy at TJ Maxx...the giraffe print...and it was marked down to $20!! I wish you could have been here shopping with me...it sure smelled a lot better than Ross'!! LOL

Well tomorrow we're on our way...I'm working very hard on looking forward and not backwards. I'm excited about visiting Ann in Coopersville on Friday and of course I'm planning on some serious "retail therapy" at the Hanna Andersson and LL bean outlet!! LOL I'll do my best to keep you updated...until next time!!!

The craziness we call life!!!

We have had zero downtime!! That is soooo not an exaggeration! Yes, before you say it, we are completely aware that most of our craziness is self induced! We are working hard at keeping life for Maddy as normal as it can be. That means we still go to the movies, the pool, the library, play dates etc. On top of all the things that come along with an international move!! Yikes! Next week Maddy will be in bible school from 8:30am until noon, that will be a true blessing! We just might get caught up...okay, probably not, but we'll do our best!!

The goodbyes started last week with a farewell party for ourselves and the Dochertys. Actually we just wanted an excuse to use up all our alcohol reserves!! LOL If only we could bring it all to Canada with us... That was Friday and it was a very nice party. The Allies gave us a lovely pencil drawing of our house framed. I loved it! This house will always hold a special place in my heart! The second goodbye was Saturday after yardsaling. Jane had a surprise brunch waiting when we arrived home after our morning of yardsaling! It was very sweet and Michelle had somehow found a print called "Rummage Sale" and framed it. We are going to need lots more wall space at our new home!! I don't love goodbyes, so it was a very tiring weekend.

The 4th of July concert was on the 3rd...LOL, it's true! The singers were Trace Adkins, Joe Nichols and Joe Martinez. It was outstanding! It only rained on us a little...just enough for my hair to frizz out into a huge ball of fuzz right before I met Trace! It wasn't a pretty sight!! Luckily his hair was just as bad...Michelle said we looked like siblings with our masses of blonde frizz! (sweet isn't she!) The 4th we headed over to watch the Canadian Skye Hawks jump. They are the Canadian military jump team. They had a really great show!! Jeff had worked with one of the guys in Petawawa so we got to go and talk to them after the jump. Let me tell you Maddy was thrilled!! We forgot our camera or I would have been posting some seriously cool pictures!! Then we went home and watched a movie and crashed!! The rest of the week we have been doing an inventory of all our possessions for customs. That's always fun...LOL We have also been trying to get things in some sort of order before the packers come in a week and a half. They'll pack everything up for us, but we have been doing a major sweep and getting rid of things we don't really need. That is no easy task, let me tell you!! The sun has come out and we have been able to hit the pool a couple of times! Not super exciting, but most definitely super busy!!

I'll do my best to keep you posted in the upcoming weeks, but I can guarantee it will be sporadic!! Wish us luck as we start out on our next adventure!!

Watch your cheese intake...

For those of you who know my oldest daughter you are well aware that she is dramatic...that's a given. She loves to sing and dance! The ringtone on my cell phone is Carrie Underwood's "Next time he cheats." I love love love that song! If you are aware of my past you probably understand why and if you don't let me explain. My first husband wasn't faithful. I coped with that fact by seeing a therapist for 18 months...that was then, this is now, and I firmly believe I'm a much stronger person because of it. I do however, believe that if Carrie had recorded this song about 9 years earlier I could have saved many counseling hours and many dollars by following her advice! The lyrics of the chorus are words to live by..."I dug my key into the side of his pretty little souped up four wheel drive, carved my name into his leather seats. I took a Louisville Slugger to both headlights, slashed a hole in all four tires, maybe next time he'll think before he cheats, yeah maybe next time he'll think before he cheats." Totally words to live by in my opinion!! Anyhow not only do I enjoy fantasizing about what could have been whenever that song comes on, but the tune is fun and just makes you feel like turning it up and singing along...and I do, every time it's on the radio. We were on our way to dinner and Jeff and I were debating whether Carrie said bathroom Polo or bathroom cologne in one verse. So we were saying all the words to the song. Maddy said I know the chorus...and she proceeded to repeat all the words. She was right on the money until she hit the last line. Picture her singing this with all she's worth...I slashed a hole in all four tires, maybe next time he'll think before he eats cheese, yeah maybe next time he'll think before he eats cheese." I thought Jeff and I might turn purple while trying not to laugh! It was so hilarious!! Only Maddy would come up with that!! I believe now we are all very clear on the moral of this story...be careful when you eat cheese around a scorned woman!! Just thought you might need a chuckle this afternoon!

Rylee, This one's for you kiddo!!

I was informed that I had grossly neglected Rylee Van Cleave. There were pictures of her sister on our blog...but none of poor Rylee. I am so sorry Rylee, I found these pictures of you and thought I'd make this entire blog all about you!!

Hope you like it Rylee!!

Playing is such hard work!!

Well...it's been hard work playing here in Fort Sill!! Actually it's been raining so much that the kids were all just so darn glad to get outside that I think they may have overdone it!! LOL

It has been raining non stop here in OK! This has been one of the coolest and rainiest (is that a word?) summers in OK history! To put things into perspective...I remember hearing on the radio last year the week before Sarah was born (August 10) that there had been over 60 days of over 100 degree weather. This year we haven't even broken 100 and it's almost July! Can you believe it?? Of course we all know why last year was so bloody hot...I was pregnant and for those of you who knew me when I pregnant with Maddy, I'm certain you'll remember that that too was a record breaking hot summer in Oromocto!! LOL So anyway...it's been raining a lot!! It might clear up a few hours in the afternoons, long enough to run to the water park or get out the bouncy house, but most of the time it's cloudy and raining. Yucko!!

As you can see today was a bouncy house day! It never got quite warm enough to swim so we tried to entertain the kids with the bouncy house. Sarah loved it! She played in the house with the ball for an hour! She was so cute! And of course the other girls loved having her there as well. She's quite the little star here on Upton Road! After the bouncy house she was so pooped that she crashed in the middle of the floor waiting for her "Ba Ba." Couldn't you just eat her up!! LOL Nope, I'm not partial at all!!

Well the weekend is coming and we need everyone to keep your fingers crossed, it looks like things may clear up a little for the weekend!! I want to get some sun before the big 3rd of July concert! Trac Adkins is coming and I have backstage passes!! Life just doesn't get much better than that...God Bless America!!

Weasels and all things evil...

This week we noticed a little change in Maddy. She was more fearful than usual...she would throw fits about going to bed with the lights off, she wouldn't go upstairs or in the back room alone. And She had even stopped flushing the toilet because she was running out of the bathroom so quickly. She wasn't paralyzed with fear...we just noticed a change. I attributed it to our impending move. She's "lost" several friends here in the last couple of weeks and honestly I assumed she was reacting to that. Well last night I was laying in bed next her when she told me she had something to tell me...let me tell you, that statement could go in any direction...so I asked what it was. She said Will and Ethan (2 older boys who live down the street) had told her something last Saturday while we were at Ethan's for a cookout. This mind you, must have happened before the boys asked the girls to take their pants off, and Daddy forbid her to play with them anymore! So anyway, Ethan and Will told her that there were weasels running around killing all the neighborhood cats and they were coming after the girls next. Apparently those weasels had "sneaked into Maddy's imagination and wouldn't leave." She was afraid that if she flushed the toilet a weasel might "sneak in through the potty and get her while she was washing her hands." Trying very hard to keep a straight face, I asked Maddy if she knew what a weasel was. She said yes, they were wild animals and they were very mean. I asked her what they looked like...she said she didn't know, but they were ugly and scary. I promptly yelled downstairs to Jeff and asked him to bring his laptop upstairs. We proceeded to look up weasels on the Internet and show Maddy what these horrible terrible monsters looked like. With a look of pure relief she decided that weasels looked like "fairy dogs" with long fluffy tails. She's now decided maybe if there really are weasels running rampant on Fort Sill that's not so bad, she'd kinda like to have one as a pet. I'm sure Fergus would love that! Oh the minds of children...if only all fears could be squashed so easily!



This picture is a classic! I came into the computer room to check on the girls. Sarah loves to sit in the chair next to Maddy while she plays on the computer. Well this is what I found...toys all over the bed and Sarah in the toy bin next to Maddy. Before I could say anything Maddy said..."Well Mommy, if Sarah wasn't little Miss grabby hands today I wouldn't have had to put her in there." Turns out little Miss grabby hands quite enjoyed sitting in the toy basket, as long as she was next to Sis!