Now, Now!

Hey y'all! It's nearing midnight as I type this post, but I haven't updated in so long, I felt it was time! I have told myself for the last two weeks every day that I would go to bed at 1030, but that is just impossible if I want some time for myself. We put the girls to bed by 830, but after that, I have to pick up toys, the girls clothes, start some laundry, and most importantly my homework. Ick. Homework. Okay I am really stoked about being back in school because school really is important to me! However, In the second semester of my Junior year now, the classes are getting a lot more thorough! I enjoy that, but I really don't have time to write an 8 page paper every week, like my marriage and family class is requiring. I WILL survive. It's just getting to that point. ;)

In other news, it's election season, and all the crazies are coming out of the wood works! Seriously people, we are all entitled to our own opinions. That's what my husband and his co-workers, my friend's husbands, and even some of my friends fight for, now isn't it? Trust me, the military life isn't all glamour, so we better get something out of putting up with the crap! That something is freedom of speech! I get so sick of people saying "Stop posting your opinion on Facebook." Ummmm, the last I checked, this is still America, and that is THEIR Facebook page they are posting to! If you do not like it, do not read it, or remove them from your friends list! Also, if you are going to try and sound intelligent, PLEASE make sure you can spell the big word you think you are using correctly! I am not big into politics, but I know which of the two candidates that I feel is the lesser of two evils. I say this because I see huge flaws in both candidates. I do not see eye to eye on everything with either. I am just choosing the one who I feel will do the least damage in our current situation! :)

PS: CHECK OUT MY RAINBOW NAILS! Get yours HERE.

What a LONG Weekend!

This weekend was incredibly long and difficult in the Bellinger household! Elliot was ultra fussy all weekend and did not want to sleep at all making for one tired momma! Emma has been her usual spunky self, so no problems from her besides the occasional "mine" fit, which by the way, I STRONGLY dislike that "mine" word. It has become the most frequent word that she uses lately besides Sammy, of course. She really loves our little dog Sammy, and he usually always loves her! Thankfully!

Some good that came out of this super stressful weekend: I finally got the paint to refinish my kitchen table and chairs! Okay, don't be alarmed, but I am painting the table lime green and the chairs turquoise! I know, I know, FUNKY! But that is exactly what I am going for! :) Also, Aaron did some modifications to his motorcycle that were FREE! Yes, I said FREE! I don't usually get the joy out of his "projects" for his vehicles because they usually end up costing as four times as much as the $40 he claimed it would cost, so I am super stoked that he got some things done that he wanted and was able to use things lying around the house!

Another new thing: I started selling Jamberry Nails! Yeah! They are super cool nail shields that you heat and attach to your nails. They can last up to 6 weeks on your toes and 3 weeks on your fingers! Anyway, you can check them out here.

Here lately I have been really struggling with living in California. I know God has plans. I just have to keep reminding myself of that. Our good friends Ashleigh and Chris and their daughter Taylor are back now after Chris's deployment, so I am incredibly thankful to have them back! Ashleigh is one of the only people I'd trust to keep my kiddos, and it's nice to have that. She and Chris are the only couple that Aaron and I both get along with, so that's great as well! But, I still really dislike this place. I keep thinking about this being our third Christmas here, and I can't believe the time is flying that quickly. Hopefully the remainder of our time here (about three years) will go by quickly as well. I keep pressuring Aaron into volunteering to go to Korea for a year, but he really doesn't want to miss his girls for a year, and I really can't blame him. The plus for me would be that I could go home and stay with my grandparents for that time. I would LOVE to do that, but I also wouldn't want Aaron to be in Korea by himself. BUT we could save over $10k while he was gone. Oh, the pros and cons with everything in the military life. I wish there was just some manual that came with this lifestyle that says what to do if.... Ultimately the decision is up to him, of course, but if it were me, I would just volunteer and see what happens. It wouldn't be guaranteed that he would get it, but there is a good possibility. Another pro: we would be stationed somewhere else once he got back!

Isaac, and tigers, and mountain lions?!?! Oh MY!

Yep, I totally screwed that saying up on purpose! Why, you ask? Because there have been at least five mountain lion sitings in BASE HOUSING in the last month. Peoples' pets are missing, and this guy's hanging around town. I am not ok with that! There have been many people just brushing it off saying that it's no big deal, and mountain lions don't hurt people, etc. This is no situation to take lightly, in my opinion. I have to state "in my opinion" because obviously that is not the thought of everyone, even though it seems common sense to me. Oh, but common sense is something that really isn't common enough! Common sense tells us that even though mountain lions general avoid people, if they are hungry enough, they will venture into housing developments, etc. So this guy is obviously hungry! He can't find what he wants elsewhere, so he has to come out of his comfort zone and come our way! I don't know about you, but I do NOT want to be eaten for dinner by a wild animal, so I am keeping myself and my babies inside as much as possible!

Also, Hurricane Isaac is headed straight for Mississippi, my home! We have family all over Mississippi including the gulf coast, so I am saying a few prayers that the destruction is little and that it doesn't gain too much strength in the gulf before hitting land. What's eerie to me is that he is coming on Katrina's 7th anniversary. If you know what Katrina is, you know what it did to Mississippi. Yes, I say Mississippi. The EYE of the hurricane hit in Bay St. Louis/Waveland, MISSISSIPPI, not New Orleans or anywhere else. Despite what the media covered, Mississippi was devastated by that storm, and it cannot handle another major hurricane! Our families are not evacuating, so please keep them in your thoughts and prayers as Isaac hits early Wednesday morning!

I did it!

I did it people, I did it! I kept to my word. :) Only a month or so late, but the blog has a new look, and I am thrilled with it. Maybe it will inspire me to update more often!

Fail!

Okay, keeping with my track record, I have failed to update the look of my blog! Let's face it folks, I am BUSY! The weekend I was supposed to work on it, we had issue with the dog that lives behind us, and Security Forces was at our house for about three hours filling out paperwork. So, I have been working out the new design throughout the last two weeks, but it is not quite done yet! Aaron has been in exercise this week, and it has been really hard for the girls and I to adjust to not having him here. We have made it with only one day left, yahoo! We will survive. ;)

Anywho: Something that's been on my mind A LOT lately is car seat safety! First off, extended rearfacing! I wish more moms would consider keeping their children rearfacing after the age of one. It is 500 times safer! Please, watch this video! It's a little long, but totally worth it!

Another huge thing that bothers me is position of the car seat's chest clip. It is called a CHEST clip for a reason people. It's not a belly clip or a crotch clip. It needs to be level with your baby/toddler's ARMPITS!

Also, if the car seat didn't come with it, chances are it ISN'T safe! Those strap covers, toss 'em. That head support, toss it! Seriously! Nothing should between your child and the car seat. Not even a coat in cold weather!


Here is a great blog post about common mistakes made when using car seats!

Blog Design

I am excited to say that a total redesign of my blog is coming your way! I am hoping to have it completely finished by the end of the weekend! I have had the same design for way too long, and plus, I need to update to include both girls in my design. Yay for crafty things! :))

Oh, California

Lately, I've been pretty bummed about living in California. We've had a mountain of obstacles thrown at us, and it's been hard to not have the support of a family down the street. As you know, baby 2 was born. He turned out to be a SHE, and I couldn't have been happier! We kept the name Elliot and will call her Ellie. Upon her arrival, we noticed that she had a toe that was a little crazy, so naturally, we asked the pediatrician about it. After a few extra doctors appointments and a visit with a pediatric surgeon, we learned she will have to have a series of surgeries from the age of 1 until the age of 12 to fix it. Our dilemma here is that we are nearly 3000 miles from home, and we live in the middle of NOWHERE. The nearest pediatric surgeon is an hour and a half a way, and surgery on a tiny little one means at least one night in the hospital. This would be fine if we only had Ellie, but we have Emma as well! If you know me, you know I trust no one with my children. (Ok, I really need to do better about the anxiety.) This is a problem because now Emma and Aaron will have to be home while Ellie and I are at a hospital over an hour away. The Air Force won't move us because they say that we have adequate care here even though it's not convenient. This is our major struggle at this point. We have no chance of getting orders out of this place until Aaron is eligible for Base of Preference (BOP), which is January 2015! Emma will be FOUR! Yowza. That seems like such a long time to be here, but we will make it! I will know more about Elliot's surgeries once we meet with the new surgeon at Shriner's hospital. That appointment should be within the next month, and I will update then!