Summer Plans

Time is ticking away here as it always does. I realized today that in a little over a month, Joe will be headed on his 3-month, all-expenses-paid vacation (Afghanistan). Normally, I would have a pit in my stomach about that much time alone with B-bear. However, summertime makes it easier to keep him entertained and makes me feel more positive all around. Plus, I have my two classes to keep me distracted (usually I just stay up late watching trashy TV). Hopefully, Joe will get to come back for a few days in August, which should be right around Ben's birthday. (My baby is going to be 2! How did that happen? Was I there?) Then Mama Anna will rescue me for a few weeks and we will accompany her back to Florida for about a month. I'm a bit gutted about missing September in England because it is so beautiful. However, September in Florida is nice too and we will be back for October, which is the last bit of loveliness before the ash cloud of winter sets in.

So, really, I just need to make it through July. I predict a haze of Lean Cuisine, trips to the Mothers' Gym on base, living at the local playgrounds, and lots of Ben's favorite...ice cream. There is a store in town with a giant ice cream cone out front. He shouts "ice cream!" everytime we go by. Even when they are closed, the store is dark, and the cone is inside, he still sees it and shouts. Ben has incredible eyesight. He spots planes far away, high up in the sky. Planes you would never notice if you did not have an enthusiastic toddler screaming "airplane" and pointing. Joe said he wishes some of the other guys in his squadron could spot planes so well.

Spring has sprung here in England. The weather is warmer and flowers are blooming. The birds are eating from the feeders. Hooray! Winter is over!

This is good because my little guy wants to be outside all of the time. We spend a lot of time in our courtyard. It is times like now when I desperately wish we had a yard. It would be a fine space if it did not double as a parking space for the Camry. Most of our outdoor time is spent like this: Ben throws the ball on the hood of the car, it rolls under the car, Ben cries for me to get it, I crawl under the car or fish it out with a broom, repeat.

Sometimes, he likes to help me water the plants. Mainly this consists of him taking the watering can to the patch of dirt with no plants and dumping it out. Not very productive, but he does get quite excited.

Joe and I have been pretty busy lately. I wrapped up my first class at the end of April, and Joe is finishing his last two classes. Between school, work, etc., there hasn't been a lot of free time. This weekend is a three-day weekend so we are trying to make up for lost time. Friday, we ate junk food and watched a movie. Yesterday, we went to the Eel Day celebration. We watched a group of people carry a paper mache eel from the cathedral to the river. There was food stalls and a band. The whole thing was pretty silly, but it was a great excuse to get out and about.

On our way back, we discovered a new park. It had a giant swing, and spinning see-saw, and a zip line. Despite my cries that we would break th

e equipment, Joe and I played on everything. (It was fine.) It was so much fun! Ben did not enjoy it, but his parents sure did.