Hazards of Living on an Army Post and Other Randomness

I love these hands and feet pictures. I have been asked numerous times by numerous people how I ever got such beautiful pictures of my children's hands and feet. They are shocked when I tell them I didn't. :-) This is actually a set of 5 x 7 postcards I purchased from IKEA a few years ago. I just love them. They are black and white and beautiful and they have always been one of my most treasured posessions. I wish I could say they are pictures of my children, but there is no way I could ever get them to sit still and position their hands and feet like this for long enough to snap a picture.


For the most part I love living on a military installation. It sure beats the heck out of living off post in this area. I get to hear them play taps twice a day (sometimes I even hear it from the neighboring Air Force base if the wind is blowing just right). If you are out and about when they play it life stops in it's tracks while people get out of their vehicles and salute or put their hand over their heart and pay respect to what deserves it most. Where else can you be driving and have a convoy military vehicles driving right alongside you? Famous people come to the PX all the time to sign autographs. And what beats getting to see a whole lot of hot men running around in uniform every day! Whoo hoo!

There are some downsides though, and one of them is field artillery. No, we don't have it raining down on our housing area but we sure hear a lot of it when they're training at the ranges. Sometimes it shakes the ground. Sometimes it scares the crap out of me in the middle of the night. Sometimes it's non-stop for over an hour at 3am when we should be sleeping peacefully. It ALWAYS sends all the dogs in the neighborhood into a fit of barking. Last week it literally shook one of my frames off the wall and the glass broke on the way down. Do you think I can find another frame that matches the remaining four? Of course not since that's just the way my life goes.

If your spouse is a 13B, 13D, 13P, or any of the other artillery MOS's I'm sure I'm not aware of, could you please tell them they owe me one black 5 x 7 picture frame? Thank you.

Friday night I swear there were pigs flying through the sky and sure enough it snowed on Saturday! I don't know how well you can see it in the picture but it is really coming down there. It never snows here. It really wasn't enough to accumulate on more then the grass but it was beautiful. I am from the north east and snow is one thing I miss the most. You may say I'm crazy but I miss trying to drive through it and shoveling it and playing in it and all the other wonderful things about snow! Cadence got to see it for the first time and actually enjoyed it until she tried to sit down and got a wet bum. Oh well. The flakes were the size of a quarter for a good 45 minutes before it slowed down. And by the next morning it had disappeared. I did get this one crappy picture just to remind myself it wasn't a dream.

Finding Balance

Whew, has it been awhile! The holidays and the aftermath were physically and mentally draining for myself and the kids, although I think I gave them the best possible Christmas they could have without their Daddy around to share it. I have to say I'm glad it's all over. I have been telling myself since September that if we could just make through the holidays, time would start zipping along. And so far it has!

Along with the new year I have a new outlook on many things. Many aspects of my life over the last year or so have just gotten out of control and it's time to get things in order. So this year I will be focused on finding balance and getting organized. No more procrastinating (well, ok, I know I'll still procrastinate a little but nothing like I have been), no more excuses, it's just time to start getting things done.

As you may have noticed my Etsy shop is still closed. I have a lot of new and exciting things planned for this year, including a new original line of blankets that your Schmoolies are gonna love! And if you have a sense of humor you're going to love them too. I guarantee they are like nothing else on the market today. I also have some new fabrics on order and hope to have everything back up and running by the end of February. My parents and Dathan's are both coming to visit next month to celebrate Xavier's birthday (I can't believe my baby is turning six!) so hopefully I can get a lot accomplished during their visit. When the shop re-opens be on the lookout for new larger size Minky blankets, hooded bath towels, and changing mats as well.

It's also time to start getting serious about our health. Inspired by Kate of the John & Kate Plus 8 show on TLC, I am considering going organic with our diets. If a mother of eight children can find the time and money to eat organic then I see no reason why I can't give it my best shot. My weight since giving birth to Cadence has just been out of control. It may partly be due to thyroid problems, which I should have a definit answer on by the end of the month. In the meantime we are eating healthy, exercising more, and getting out into the crisp fresh air as much as possible.

I've also worked out a day to day schedule that I think balances out time with kids and time for Inspired by Schmooley, so I should be able to complete more and get things listed more often.

Do you like that picture of the scale up there ^? You can get one at Kids Unplugged. They're not handmade, but all of their toys are made from natural, safe, and nontoxic materials with consideration to their effect on the environment, and the store is owned by a WAHM!

I Didn't Forget, I Promise!

There has been random chaos and craziness in the Padgett household for the last few days which has caused me to fall further behind than usual on this blog, my shop, and life in general. :-( But I promise I did not forget about the giveaway! A winner was chosen at random by me, since Schmooley was not being cooperative to say the least. And the winner is....bethysak!

I promise I will post pictures of the finished bib tomorrow, but my camera hasn't had batteries for a few days. Xavier received a toy airplane as a gift in the mail earlier this week that required batteries. I tried switching out batteries from almost every other toy in this house and apparently my camera's batteries were the only ones I had strong enough to power the airplane. I've been camera-less since because getting to the store to buy brand new batteries just hasn't happened yet. The picture above is a patchwork bib currently for sale in my shop as part of a gift set.

Thanks to all who entered, and congrats to bethysak!

I also wanted to let everyone know that Inspired by Schmooley will be closing at the end of this week while I travel for the holidays. The shop most likely will re-open in mid-February after undergoing some big changes. Thanks to all for your support and I will be back here with updates on the changes.

Doing the Happy Dance!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Our Turkey Day was pretty "eh" but I expected as much all things considered. I did accomplish quite a few things...the mother load of laundry, baking four different kinds of cookies, and putting up my Christmas decorations just to name a few.

Today I have something to be very very thankful for. Back in October my Aunt lost her beloved golden retriever Ruefuz at Schwartzwood State Park in NJ. My family has been going to Schwartzwood for years and on October 21st they were having a picnic there. Just as everyone was about to leave Rue just took off. My Aunt, Uncle, and cousin ran after him but eventually he was out of sight. They distributed hundreds of fliers, went back to the park throughout the week, notified the NJ state police,fire departments, rescues, and shelters, put ads on the local news, newspapers, and weather channel, etc. I posted on Craigslist, Dog Detective.com, Pet911.com, PetFinder.com, etc. and had many people e-mail me with words of encouragement. Despite everyone's efforts though, it seemed like Ruefuz was gone for good.

Last night someone near Branchville, NJ spotted Ruefuz and called in his brothers to help catch him. After being outside in the cold for exactly one month and two days Ruefuz was rescued and brought home today! Rue is my Aunt Barbie's life and I know without him she wasn't whole. I am so thankful for his return, and all the kind words and support she received from so many people.

I am just so thankful he's home!

Unlucky 13

13 months. That's how long it'll be before I see my husband again. Dathan got the word on when his mid-tour leave will be today and he's not coming home until NEXT October. That's 13 months without seeing the kids. I'm sad for me of course, but I can't believe he's missing 13 months of their lives. Especially Schmooley...she's such a Daddy's girl and is doing more and more things everyday. Her personality is coming alive and he's missing it. Yes he was here to see her crawl, walk, cut a tooth, etc. but now is when she's really starting to do all the cute stuff. She cuddles her stuffed animals and blows kisses and things like that. And Xavier, well he's becoming such a young man. Man I am bummed. :-(


Some pics right before he left in September...

Farewell dinner at the Olive Garden:

The night he left...

I had a proud Mommy moment this week and since my camera finally decided to cooperate I can share it with all of you! Schmooley has decided to share in my fabric obsession...this gorgeous Michael Miller disco dot print arrive the other day and she just couldn't get enough of it.

A new style of blankets, as well as bibs and burp cloths will soon be available in this print in my shop.

Warning!

With the holidays fast approaching I'm constantly thinking about toys for the kids, my niece, and my nephew. All the recent toy recalls have me completely freaked out! I asked my Mom the other day how many of my toys were recalled when I was a child. She can't recall a single one. In the last few months I've had to return, replace, or throw away six items between both Schmooley and Xavier, and I know I'm not alone. Therefore this year I am going all handmade, or made in the USA.

The latest recall I've read about has to be the most shocking one I've heard so far. It was reported on The Mommy Designer Blog (go check it out if you havn't already...it's FABULOUS!) that Spin Master's Aqua-Dots have been recalled. They may possibly contain a date-rape drug. A date-rape drug! Can you believe that?! The coating on the beads that causes the beads to stick to eachother when water is added contains a chemical that may turn toxic when many are ingested. If your child swallows the beads they may become comatose, develop respiratory depression, or have seizures. And, of course, they were made in China. No suprise there. If you have any of these beads you can read the CPSC report HERE, or by visiting Spin Master's website HERE.

Scary stuff! On a positive note, I am having fun finding toys I think my little Schmoolies will be delighted with this year. I thought I'd share a few of my recent finds with you...

First up is Chester the Sock Dog by Doodlebugfinery on Etsy. He's about 15", and looks as if he's fully housebroken. That's my kind of dog! Xavier has been asking for another puppy so this is definitely on my list for him. She's also got some great onesies and tees listed in her shop.

Next is a Kawaii owl hat crocheted in any size you'd like by tiptopapplesauce. Schmooley HAS to have one of these this year! She guarantees everything 100% and takes custom orders. I know Schmooley will be unique in this, as well as the oh-so important CUTE!

I'll be posting more of my finds soon, but in the meantime if you have great handmade or made the USA gifts and toys you'd like to share with me, either leave a comment or send an e-mail over to inspiredbyschmooley@hotmail.com. I'd love to hear from you!

My new love...

Last week I ordered this bag from Bloomworks on Etsy. It arrived in a matter of days (seriously, it must've been a record shipment for the Post Office) and I am in LOVE with it! Never mind the fact that the print is one of my absolute favs, it's the best bag in the world. Lately I find when using bags with zippers, snaps, buttons, etc. the bag is always closed when I need to get into it, and have a Schmooley on one arm, Xavier on the other, and about a million other miscellaneous things in between. This of course makes it next to impossible to open the closure and get what I need (usually the keys to get in the car and unload above mentioned miscellaneous junk). This bag is perfect because it's deep enough you don't have to worry about stuff falling out, but there's no closure to deal with. Just reach in, and grab what you need! The 22"strap makes it the perfect length for a shortie like me. The bag is lined in a complimentary beige fabric, reversible, and there's a small pocket inside, done in the red wallflower print, that's perfect for your keys, cell phone, wallet, or whatever. I am done with carrying a purse and a diaper bag so for a long time now I've been searching for one that will do double duty, but not be too big and bulky. I've found it and I think you need one too :-) So go check out her shop and tell me what you think!

R E S P E C T

re·spect: to show regard or consideration for

What ever happened to respect? The more I look around, the less I see of it. Oh God, did I really just say that? I'm starting to sound like my Mammy. But really folks...when did our society become a place where it's apparently ok to purposely say hurtful things with the blatant intention of upsetting people? The more I think about this, the more I realize respect in general is just dead (and no, "dead" in this sense does not mean "cool").

When I was growing up my parents taught me respect. They taught me that it was ok to have my own opinions and defend my beliefs, but to also realize that other people's beliefs may be different from mine. And that it was ok to disagree, but to at least respect those beliefs. I have always tried to do just that. Growing up I was baptized and raised Lutheran. At a certain point in my life I realized that traditional religious beliefs were just not for me. I didn't, and still don't, really know what I believe in but I do feel that something greater is out there. Therefore I consider myself Agnostic and choose not to participate in any religious activities. I have never minded or disrespected other people's religious beliefs though. In fact not long ago I had a pastor knock on my door and invite me to join his congregation. I took the time to listen to his speech and thanked him before closing the door. He actually thanked me before he left and said most people just slam the door in his face. I don't agree with gay marriage. But my husband's Mother(s) is (are) gay, and have lived together for over 20 years. I lived with them for 3 1/2 years when Dathan and I first got married. Not one day that I've known them have I disrespected them for their choices, because they are choices they have made for themselves and just because I don't agree with them does not mean they're wrong.

Until today I can honestly say I don't think I've ever outright bashed anyone else's opinion. I am feeling guilty about it, but honestly I have had it up to here *holds hand above head about six inches* with people. Dathan put an idea in my head a long time ago about living in a cabin in the woods when it's just the two of us again. There was some argument at the time about how many acres of land we'd own. I figured between 5 - 10 would be plenty, but he wanted more like 100. Now I get it! If people are this disrespectful now, I can't imagine what this world will be like in another 25 years when we're ready for that cabin.

I'm not writing this to change anyone's mind about anything. But if everyone who reads this could show just a wee little bit of respect for someone today, maybe this world would be a better place.

Ask the Army Wife

First and foremost I would like to say to the family of SGT Ronald Coffelt, you are in my heart today. I was in line at a drive thru for lunch and was behind a green van. There were two decals on the van that said "My Daddy died for your freedom" and "My husband died for your freedom" SGT Ronald Coffelt, 19 JUL 07. Talk about a reality check, especially after searching through the casualty list to find out more about him. Sounds like he was an outstanding husband, father, and soldier and will certainly be missed by all whose lives he touched. As an Army wife I am well aware of the fact thousands of soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice since the start of the war, but today it really hit home.


Speaking of Army life, I am going to start something new. I know of so many spouses who join the military community and are completely CLUELESS about the way things work, sometimes even months or years later. And really, who can blame them? Our soldiers all get to go through lengthy training to get all the information they need on how the military works and how to do their job. In our house we have tons of books, binders, and training manuals on everything from rank to first aid, but they're all designed for my husband, not me. Spouses, or dependents as we're referred to, don't get training manuals. Often times soldiers don't share information with their spouses because they simply don't realize how "in the dark" their spouses are. There are a ton of resources out there for spouses new the military but obviously many spouses aren't finding the information.

I've decided to start accepting questions from anyone who is wondering about Army life. I like to be prepared, so before my husband even talked to a recruiter I was researching, researching, researching, getting my hands on everything I could to learn about what we were about to get ourselves and our family into. I will try to answer every question as honestly and accurately as possible. Please understand I am only going to be sharing my personal experiences and information I have found. Everyone's military experience is different, policies vary from unit to unit, and I have limited knowledge of branches other then the Army. But I am hoping that spouses who are feeling left in the dark and/or spouses such as myself who are trying to prepare themselves, can learn and grow from my experience. Anything you want to know, from why his pay seems wonky to what the heck does XYZ acronym mean, just ask away! Questions may be sent to inspiredbymyschmooley@hotmail.com. I will reply to each and every question, and post the questions and answers here on the blog. If you have a question about something you don't want shared on the blog I will still be happy to reply via e-mail.

Updating

It's been awhile since I updated here, but life has been insane with everything going on. It's finally sunk in that Dathan is gone, but life is back to a routine. I've been fortunate enough to hear from him a lot since he left, and I made my first sale on Etsy! Things are really starting to settle down a bit so I can start posting here on a regular basis. There are many new and exciting things happening both here in the Padgett household, as well as with Inspired by Schmooley!

I am doing a giveaway this month for a set of two burp cloths! You can view burp cloths I currently have for sale in my Etsy shop. The winner will have their choice of tangerine, lime, or cherry dot print from Amy Butler's Lotus line, and backed with a soft absorbant terry cloth. Each one measures approximately 10" x 19" so they are large enough to soak up whatever your little Schmooley happens to throw your way. To be entered into the drawing just leave a comment here for me. Comments must be left before October 31st and winner will be announced on or around November 1st.

Also, in honor of my first month of selling on Etsy, all items will ship for $1 during the month of October. So get those orders in before October 31st! Custom orders are welcome. Promotional rate applies only to shipping in the U.S. I will gladly ship internationally for the exact cost of shipping. Head on over to the shop and check it out!

A little updating

Well it's been a busy weekend and already a busy week...and it's only Monday. Our ant situation is now finally under control. There were a few projects this weekend that needed to be tackled. First and foremost was a yard sale. We moved into this house over the summer and ever since the move I've been putting together a pile of unwanted/unneeded items for a yard sale. The pile started to take over the living room, and this was the second to last weekend Dathan will be around to supervise the kiddos, so I had a yard sale Saturday.



The day started off with a woman who showed up 45 minutes before the sale was scheduled to start. We had a huge thunderstorm and a power outage the night before so I didn't go to bed until the wee hours of the morning. That and the fact that I'm not used to waking up to an alarm clock made it extra hard to drag my butt out of bed the morning of the sale. Then this woman shows up and starts asking the price of everything since I hadn't tagged any items yet. I was half asleep and giving her prices way below what I was going to price things at anyway and she wanted to haggle. Sorry lady, but I don't do a darn thing in the morning until I've had at least one cup of coffee. She went on and on about how she needed to buy things cheap for an Air Force wife whose husband is only and E-3 and they have 10 kids and he's deployed, yadda yadda yadda. I'm familiar with how the pay system works since it was only a few years ago my soldier was an E-3. But there are resources out there for lower enlisted families in need of household items and sorry, but I'm not letting go of a 12 pc. Pfaltzgraff set for $1.00.



There were customers who were chatty and friendly, those who scowled and seemed to think I should be damned for not having any lawn tools for sale, those who didn't speak English, and those who spoke proper English so well they also tended to turn up their noses and made me wonder why they weren't off shopping at Macy's. But my most memorable customer of the day was an older gentleman. Dathan belonged to a book club when we got married and one month when he neglected to return the postcard of the month's featured books we received an unwanted copy of "101 Greatest Sexual Positions." I honestly never glanced at it, or put it on my bookshelf for that matter (not because I'm prude, but because that's not something I want my parents looking at and wondering about when they come to visit), so it was put out at the yard sale. Anyway, the older gentleman browsed through the book for quite some time before he turned to me and offered a dime for it. I was charging $1.00 for hardback books but quite honestly just wanted him and the book gone so I accepted his offer. He then began to peruse the baby section where I had several unopened bottles of baby lotion and powder. His final purchase included the book, "101 Greatest Sexual Positions", a two pack of baby powder, and a bottle of baby lotion. Oh did Dathan have his friends rolling on the floor with laughter at work today, while I'm still cringing from the memory. The best part was he was carrying his money in one of those purple velvet bags you get with Crown Royal, and he kept offering me a dime for everything he picked up. I figured he was just carrying around a bag of change, and I wanted him gone, so I kept agreeing. When it came time to cough up the cash he pulled a wad of bills out of that bag so thick I'm surprised they even fit in there. Talk about getting suckered.



Other then my yard sale/creepy weird people magnet event, we did some home improvements this weekend. My proceeds went towards a new console table and mirror for our entryway, and mums for the front porch. I also got a plastic garden fence that looks like wrought iron from a distance that was on sale at Lowe's for $3. I was super psyched since I've been looking for something like this to be part of my Halloween decor (I'm the crazy Halloween lady on my street and have been thinking about my theme for this year since June!) and I couldn't pass it up at $3. Xavier had such a wonderful time helping me transplant the mums into pots. Of course now that I bought plants it's getting chilly. I hope the first frost holds out for at least a few weeks. I'll post some pics tomorrow of our improvements.

And so it begins...

Well here we are, two weeks away from Dathan leaving AGAIN. This time he's headed back to the big sandbox. I've decided to start keeping a blog while he's gone because there's so much I want to accomplish during this deployment and I figure this is a good place to keep track of it all. Aside from trying to save what's left of my sanity and take care of the kids, I'm starting a business. Crazy, I know, but it's been brewing in my mind since last year and at least it'll keep me busy during the next 15 lonely months.

So what started this crazy idea? Well shortly after Schmooley (AKA my daughter Cadence) was born, I decided I needed to have a shopping cart cover. Not because I'm germaphobic, but because I wanted something super plush between her wobbly head and the shopping cart. I shopped around and found the kind I wanted was selling for $80 or more and just couldn't justify spending that amount. So instead I convinced Dathan to let me spend $100 on a sewing machine, and I don't even want to think about how much on fabric and what-not, and I created one. Instant hit with family and friends!

Things just took off from there...burpies, bibs, painted wall letters, hair accessories, blankies, you name it, I was sewing it into the wee hours of the morning. You see, I have been creative ever since anyone who knows me can remember. I sewed, drew, painted, played with clay, and aspired to be the "starving artist" type all throughout my childhood (well, after I got over my ambitions to be a trapeze artist for Ringling Brothers) and well into my high school years. Circumstances in my life pushed me in another direction after school and it was sort of like someone just put a stopper in my bottle of creative juice. After Schmooley came into my life the bottle broke open and I havn't been able to stop since!

Aside from sewing, painting, and crafting I have an obsession with http://www.etsy.com/ (where you will soon be able to see my handcrafted goodies...more on the shop debut coming soon!) and finding unique and charming goods on the Internet. You will see many of them featured in my blog and if you have any suggestions or want to share a nifty product with me, shoot me an e-mail inspiredbymyschmooley@hotmail.com More to come soon!