weight loss during pregnancy in first trimester | Why do I feed our toddlers

weight loss during pregnancy in first trimester

Today as I was scraping ANOTHER plate of food into the trash can, I thought, "Why do I even make the toddlers plates of food?" So here we go!

10 reasons why I make our toddlers plates of food:

1. I worry that they have run out of things to throw and like to supply them with materials.

2. We like to "pretend" lunch. Oh, look, here is a plate of food for you to pretend to eat! Wasnt that fun?

3. It is a habit and old habits die hard. For some reason, I just cant stop setting out a plate for each of them that I then put food on.

4. I enjoy doing dishes.

5. I enjoy scrubbing mashed sweet potatoes out of the cracks of the high chairs.

6. I enjoy the after breakfast bath to get syrup from the "pancake hats" out of their hair.

7. The dog is hungry and the only way for him to eat is bite by bite from our toddlers spoons.

8. Ive run out of things to argue with them over and I like hearing myself tell them to "just try a bite!" Try it, try it, Sam I Am...

9. You guessed it, I love doing laundry. I love pulling off smeared oatmeal shirts and getting smashed strawberry stains out of shirts.

10. We like throwing money in the trash can. Dont worry about it, kids; its just an organic cheese stick. We dont have a grocery budget or anything to worry about.

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post pregnancy weight loss rate | Paris with toddlers staying in a strangers home

post pregnancy weight loss rate

If you follow my blog or any of my social media (what?! You dont?! Get clicking to your right!), you will know that last weekend, me, my husband and daughter spent the weekend in Paris with our good friends and their beautiful 8 month old daughter too.  In an attempt to not bore you with my descriptions of this very beautiful city, because lets face it, we have all seen the Eiffel Tower, I thought I would do a little round up of how we found travelling with two little ones and how I found staying in a strangers home (and no, we are not involved in some strange Parisian wife swap). 

We travelled to Paris by Eurostar which was actually brilliant. The trip seemed to be so quick and there was plenty of room for our luggage and pram / pushchairs.  So far so good.  Until that is, we arrived at the station where you needed to have a flying pram to be able to get about. I think its more commonly known as Gare du Nord. Apologies if we blatantly missed any lifts, but, after several laps of the station the only way we could get to any of the connecting platforms we needed was to carry everything down several flights of stairs. All I can say is the need to be accessible to all has clearly bypassed this station and after much huffing and puffing, we all arrived safely onto the platform, albeit minus a bag of M&S Percy Pigs that got damaged in transit.  RIP. 

Our accommodation for the weekend was a beautiful apartment we had rented from a site called Airbnb. Airbnb is a website whereby you can search properties all over the world and basically rent peoples houses (they are not in them at the time!).  The houses have reviews and are rated by people who have previously stayed there.  Some of the places to rent are absolutely stunning and you can rent whole houses, studios, flats or even just a room. As someone who only ever books hotels, I was a little dubious about using this service, but it is such an amazing concept.  I guess people rent their homes who maybe have other properties or go on holidays themselves.  The apartment we rented was amazing.  It was spotless (very important to me), it had three bedrooms, two balconies and my daughter had her own little playroom!!! Whilst it was strange being in someones house with their belongings still in, it was lovely to have a homely base for the weekend right in the middle of Paris.  

The person whose apartment it was met us at the door, showed us round, had bought us a few essentials, like bread and milk and even left us a range of maps and local information. Of course I didnt do any snooping (but I could tell the owners had excellent taste with their Laura Mercier bath collection).  I would certainly use Airbnb again, in fact we are, when we travel to New York in May.  Its definitely worth a look if you are going away and want something a bit more flexible than a hotel.  For us, it worked out cheaper between us and also gave us a bit more freedom when the children went to bed so we could sit on the balcony or in the living room, whereas if you stay in a hotel you can be a little stuck in the evenings. 

We spent the weekend taking in the glorious sights of Paris and also ate our way through the delicacies.  We used a shuttle water bus to get back from the Eiffel Tower which was really nice as it transported us along the river right through the heart of Paris.  Pre-children I think we would have all managed to walk back to the apartment (maybe with a few bar stops along the way), but with hungry little ones in tow we found the boat ride perfect. It was a lovely Parisian weekend away.  

Readers of this blog maybe keen to know if I managed to befriend Kim Kardashian as it was Paris Fashion Week whilst we were there. I can confirm I did not.  I have the eyes of an eagle when it comes to any celebrities (please dont judge me)and I didnt see a single one of them. But quite frankly, who needs celebrities when you have the Eiffel Tower and a macaroon in your hand? Exactly. 

Thanks for reading, 

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post pregnancy weight loss regime | The BiB Awards 2015 and a question

post pregnancy weight loss regime

Votes for the Brilliance in Blogging Awards, hosted by BritMums, are now officially open, and its your chance to nominate the best blogs that you love. Apart from that time I mistook getting nominated for a Liebster Award as a blogging Oscar (you can read about that little mistake here), this is the first time in my very short blogging life that there are actual award nominations open.  Woop woop!  

Now to be quite honest, there is alot of competition.  And I mean alot of competition. There are so many talented writers and bloggers out there that I have thought of not writing this post at all.  I often doubt my writing ability and question my blog.  But, my page statistics tell me a different story.  Somewhere, somehow, some lovely lovely people actually take the time to read and comment on my little blog. So, whilst this post may only serve as a reminder to my mum to vote for me (thanks mum), Im publishing this post regardless.  Whilst I would LOVE any nominations, at all, writing about the awards is also an excellent chance to celebrate the blogs I love too and share my nominations.  There are lots of different categories, so heres my nominations and a question for you...

Inspire Category

Without a doubt I nominate the lovely Katie from Pouting in Heels.  Her blogs are truly inspirational and so uplifting.  She is a very gifted writer. I adore her blogs and her attitude to life. I highly recommend a look at her fabulous blog here. 

Social Media Category

For me, there is one blogger who really engages on all social media platforms. Whilst I am still getting to grips with Google plus, this lady has all aspects well and truly covered and she is very supportive of sharing and helping other blogs too.  Its Victoria from Verily Victoria Vocalises.

Writer Category

My nomination here has to go to Brummy Mummy of Two.  This lady is hilarious and her blogs keep you hooked.  When I first found her blog I think I spent a whole afternoon reading.  She is not only a fantastic writer and actually makes me laugh out loud, but she also is a champion of not beating yourself up and taking parenting in your stride.  

Photo Category

For this category I nominate Kate from Mummy, daddy and me.  I have a slight obsession with her and her blog.  She shares the most gorgeous pictures and has a very inspiring blog which is so pretty and yes, I may also stalk her on Instagram. 

Family Category

This is a really tricky category as there are so many blogs that I read and love. But I have decided to nominate Potty Mouthed Mum. I find her blog very open and honest and just a pleasure to read.  

Outstanding Category

Without a doubt I think Honest Mum should win this award.  This lady is a truly talented blogger and has the most beautiful site and blogs.  She is also so supportive of other bloggers and it really shines through. You can tell she works so hard to deliver amazing content daily.  If you want to see how a professional blogger does it, this is your lady. 

And finally.... Fresh Voice Category

Hmm...do I dare? Yes, yes, I do. This is the category for new bloggers, celebrating new content and blogging style.  And here is where I ask you to consider voting for me (feel free to vote for me in other categories, but I felt this might be a good one).  I have only been blogging since July 2014, and I feel my blog and writing style has really evolved in this time. I may just be a tiny spec in a vast ocean of other bloggers, but I hope that if you do enjoy my blog you would consider voting for me. You can find all the details and the voting form here at Britmums Brilliance in Blogging Awards 2015.

I wish all the other amazing bloggers the best of luck, and as always, thanks for reading, 

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weight loss possible during pregnancy | Thanksgiving

weight loss possible during pregnancy

My small town, southern husband grew up living near all these different branches of his family. Thanksgiving was a time for them all to get together and cook great big, traditional Thanksgiving dinners. He told me he would then often drive over to friends houses and eat at there as well. Thanksgiving was a big holiday for his family. At my house, Christmas was the big holiday. Thanksgiving was the last stop before Christmas. We always decorated the day after Thanksgiving and Thanksgiving meant day-after sales (my favorite). You can imagine the look on his face a year or two ago when I suggested forgoing the traditional turkey dinner for something more fun-- something my family often did-- tacos. (Hey, we lived in California.) I managed to avoid any serious Thanksgiving conversations on our old boat because his division was always invited to a big Thanksgiving dinner at his chiefs house. Here in North Carolina we are on our own; Thanksgiving became my problem.

Last year I went through the motions and stressed over the prep work. Dont get me wrong; I loved the fruits of my labor, but it was a labor. This year I excitedly flipped through recipes, fine tuning last years feast. I took pictures all along the way to text to my parents. I baked four pies and a cheesecake. It was a rush and I loved it! As we were cleaning up, I told my husband about my plans for next year. Thats when I realized Ive become a person that loves Thanksgiving. So what does Thanksgiving mean to me?

?

Thanksgiving is about the only time in the year where I make multiple side dishes and cook for three days. Thanksgiving revolves around good food. I had a table set up just to hold the food! There was, of course, also a centerpiece (we had company). We dragged in our big folding table and set that up for eating. I bought a pretty table cloth and placemats and used my favorite decorating trick-- candles. Thanksgiving is about a festive mood. (The festive mood did arrive after my husband and Is fight about cooking the turkey. But what would Thanksgiving be without a fight over how to cook the turkey?) We laughed and snacked and hovered around the oven. We dressed the kids in some of their cuter clothes (read: not sweatpants and not stained). We talked about Thanksgivings in the past and where we will be next year. We talked about how much our kids had grown. When company arrived, we talked about family and the silliness of our kids. Thanksgiving is about quality time and reflection. I had a Thanksgiving day schedule of when what dish goes in the oven, for how long, and at what temperature. From 0830 to 1300, my oven was on. With all that time management, I still felt relaxed. We opened "bubbly" (apple cider) and later the adults had white then chocolate wine. I wore a silk shirt and my husband put on a pair of slacks. We helped each other out with the dishes and found the kids shenanigans amusing. Thanksgiving is about enjoying your blessings.

Next year we probably wont be living in this house for Thanksgiving, though we could be. Most likely we will be in South Carolina. My husband will be in power school. The year after that, we will most likely be back on a boat. Will he be home then? We have already spent many holidays and birthdays apart, between underways and duty days. It is such a treat to enjoy the holiday the day of the holiday. We know how blessed we are just to have my husband home to cut the turkey, something many of our military friends do not have this year. For us, Thanksgiving is also a time where we thank God for all the people serving in the military.

It took my husband almost six years. Persistence pays off; Im now a Thanksgiving person. Im looking forward to next years feast, cracking open my Thanksgiving recipe book, and starting our own holiday traditions. I cant wait to read Real Simples November 2013 issue. I love the idea of my children eagerly anticipating my many pies or for leftover turkey pot pie. I can already picture my boys excitedly planning playing football with Daddy Thanksgiving afternoon or napping during the game post-feast.

Hope everyone had a happy Thanksgiving!

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post pregnancy weight loss routine | Quicksmart BackPack Stroller Review

post pregnancy weight loss routine

Toddlers only have little legs (obviously!) and I find that my daughter, who is now nearly three, starts off the day wanting to be very independent and walk everywhere herself. What we both tend to block out is that her legs only carry her so far, so after approximately 30 minutes I end up carrying her, and end up with an aching back and juggling things in my teeth.  Our original pram that we bought when she was a baby does convert to a pushchair, but we find it quite heavy and cumbersome now and not ideally suited to a heavy toddler. I blame its poor manoeuvrability on the many toes I may or may not have ran over. This year, we are very lucky in the fact that we are doing lots of travelling, so we thought we would invest in a light weight pushchair.  It needed to be lightweight, easy to fold and put up and also compact.  

After much research we found the QuickSmart back pack stroller and it is fabulous. What immediately drew our attention was that it folds down and fits into an over the shoulder bag.  We thought this was perfect for times when our daughter wanted to walk so we could actually comfortably carry the stroller.  

Its extremely lightweight (7.5kg) and folds out into a stroller in just three easy clicks which you can actually do with one hand, and if youre interested, whilst taking blog photographs. It folds down in another three clicks, but I found you need both hands to do this.

We trialled the stroller on our recent trip to Paris and it was perfect. Because it is so compact, it is ideal for storing in compartments and we found that when in its bag, it neatly fitted into the overhead storage on the train. We also found it great on the underground for times when we struggled to find lifts, we could quickly take our daughter out, fold the pushchair, pop it into its bag and then walk onto an escalator. 

It handles really well and you can steer single-handedly which is no easy feat with a heavy toddler sitting in!! There is a tiny bit of storage underneath and a pocket to the back, but to be honest, we really didnt want that much storage space.  It also comes with a rain cover and a safety harness, and the seat has an upright position and then a reclining position.  

I think this stroller is the perfect partner for travel and its great for that stage of being too big for a pushchair but not quite being able to walk everywhere. I really recommend it. QuickSmart is an American company so you do have to search for where to buy. We found the stroller on Amazon here.  

Even Pablo gives the stroller his paw of approval. 

Thanks for reading and have a fantastic weekend, 

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weight loss during pregnancy risks | Do as the toddlers do

weight loss during pregnancy risks

I am embarrassed to admit this, but up until recently I thought that our children were the additions to my husband and Is life, that we were supposed to adapt them to the rhythm of our lives. Surveying our house the other day, I realized how foolish this was. Whos calling the shots here? So Im re-writing the game plan. As they say, when in Rome, do as the toddlers do.


1. Reason is not real.
Who cares if you need a nap because company is coming over later? Who cares if you are only crying because you are tired? Who cares if there isnt more after all? These "reasons" are not tangible things and therefore they do not exist.

2. Throwing is a form of communication.
Whether you are done with your meal or showing your brother a cool toy he cant touch, throwing is a great way to get your message across.

3. Use your body language.
Take this very literally. If you are feeling down, flail on the floor. If you are excited or happy, run in circles with your hands in the air. If you want something, throw the weight of your body in the direction of the desired object. Arching your back is the absolute best way to show your dissatisfaction or to simply liven up an otherwise boring afternoon.

4. Cleanliness is next to weakness.
Wiping your nose, changing your diaper, or willingly taking your clothes off before bathtime are all signs that you were too weak to run away. The only time a clean nose and fresh baby powder scent is appropriate is after an epic battle. In that case, they are badges of honor.

5. Safety isnt just fun; its your job.
Books stacked on a case are a hazard. Drinks left willy-nilly on an end table are a hazard. Cell phones left emitting dangerous radiation on the couch are a hazard. Trash cans-- anywhere in the home-- are a hazard. Objects peaking over the edge of the counter are a hazard. It is your job to safely lay these objects out on the floor and thoroughly inspect them. Is that dog food or poison? There is only one way to find out.

6. Let your voice be heard.
Everywhere. Dont let the man silence you. Point and scream energetically at every balloon you see-- perhaps the others in your party havent seen it yet. If you are being reprimanded, throw your head back and cry loudly, "YOU CANNOT KEEP ME DOWN!" Church is a wonderful place to really stretch your vocal cords; the acoustics are fabulous.

7. Control your own destiny.
Is your stroller heading to Gymboree or the Gates of Mordor? Are you zipping past shiny objects on the ground or interesting benches that need to be climbed on? Dont let them strap you in! These things should be avoided at all costs: carseats, strollers, high chairs (especially restaurant high chairs), and shopping carts. It is near to impossible to escape these things once the straps close around you.

8. Sharing is for others.
Always insist on sharing. Your friends need to learn to share their toys with you. Your siblings need to learn to share the wagon. Your parents need to learn to share their food. But remember this: the people you welcome into your home are lucky you are sharing your time and oxygen with them. They do not need to touch your things.

9. Persistance pays off.
So someone says no to you when you climb on the kitchen table. Will they say no if you do it again? And again? And again? And if they really dont want you playing with whatever is in that cabinet, would they continue to store it in that cabinet?

10. Exercise each and every day.
Pre-bedtime runs are important; make sure to sprint in the opposite direction of the house as your bedroom when bedtime is announced. As soon as you get out of the car, take off running; parking lots have ample space to stretch your legs. Another great place is the mall. You can get a lot of exercise in doing figure eights around shopping racks or dashing from store to store. The best work outs are random. Run full speed in one direction then quickly cut left or turn around completely. If anyone tries to stop you, pretend you are on a tread mill while you are in their arms; that form of exercise is known as "cardio" and can be just as beneficial. Note: never work out with anyone; you will get less of a work out. If you find you are running with your brother, break away. Your health is important.

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weight loss during pregnancy in third trimester | 5 years old

weight loss during pregnancy in third trimester

5-years old is a fun age. I know our oldest has only been five for a handful of weeks now, but Ive loved every minute of it. Is this what people have meant by it gets easier? (And it only took 5 years! Not including 9 months of pregnancy!)

Dont get me wrong, I absolutely love being a stay-at-home mom. I love spending every day with my kids and helping them through each milestone, kissing every boo-boo, wiping away every tear, scaring away all the monsters, and going on countless backyard adventures. Every momma knows that there are easy stages and hard stages. 5 years old has proven to be one of those stages that feels like a fun adventure, glittered with childhood imagination and peppered with mysteries to solve and experiments to conduct. I love it.

Ds imagination at 5 has just taken off. Hes always been big on costumes and pretend play, but now we have elaborate plots and various "rules." I love when he pipes up from the backseat, "Hey, Momma! Want to hear a story?" Of course I do! His stories are long-winded and sometimes missing a point, but some of them are laugh out loud funny and others are just heartwarming (like the little boy who had two little brothers that he loved more than anything in the whole wide world-- yeah, super cute!). I love when he tries to play Magic School Bus with his 2-year old twin brothers, "No, no! You are Arnold. You have to say... And, Carlos! You have to sit here! Where are you going?" Im supposed to be Ms. Frizzle in the chaos, but it is too cute half the time to intervene.

Even better, 5 seems to be the magical age of explaining and negotiating. No longer do we have conversations like the one I had with one of our 2-year olds the other night, "No green beans, no watermelon. Yes green beans, yes watermelon," holding up samples of said items to reinforce my point. I can tell D things like, "You need to be a gentleman at breakfast. A lot of family came to town to see you. They want to talk to you. Do not use potty words. Tell them the things youve learned about the beach this summer." And guess what? He behaved like a perfect gentleman, even pulling me to the side later to tell me that he did just what I said and "didnt use potty words or anything potty talk except when I had to go poop then I said, Excuse me, I have to go poop." (Still working on etiquette!)

He didnt want to go to his summer day camp because he was going to miss me too much, so we talked about one of our favorite family reads, Llama Llama Misses Mama by Anna Dewdey (honestly, you should check out all of the Llama books). I asked him what happened when Llama Llama went to school. D says, "He missed his momma and started crying because he wanted to go home." I urged him to go further, "But then what happened? What did his teacher tell him?" D answered quickly, "She said it was okay to miss Momma! That Momma was coming back!" He told me about all the fun things Llama Llama did at school before his momma came to pick him up again. And then I quoted the last pages of the book, "Llama finds out something new. He loves Mama... and school too!" When I dropped him off at summer day camp, he leaned forward to kiss my cheek and whispered to me, "I love Momma and camp too!" Precious.

There, of course, are new things to deal with at 5. He has his little pride. When he fails at something, like making a basket or hitting the ball, and we laugh, he takes it very personally. (Okay, it sounds mean when I write it like that, but it is absolutely adorable when our little 5-year old shakes his little bottom before pulling the bat back and swinging as hard as he can, missing the ball, and spiraling down to the ground. Adorable. You keep a straight face!) He feels left out, especially when we are doing something with his brothers and not him, like their speech therapy sessions. "Why cant I play? Will someone come over to do speech therapy with me?" He wants to be a big boy, just like his dad. "The baby-sitter is here for my brothers, but she is going to big-boy-sit me, not baby-sit." He wants to be the center of attention and a stand-up comedian. "What do you call a snail on a ship? A SNAIL-or! What do you call a dog on a ship? A SNAIL-or! What do you call a baby on a ship? A BABY!" (Okay, still working on etiquette and jokes...) And a 5-year old can take whining to an all new level. He makes our 2-year olds look like amateurs, which, in a way, they are. He can whine for an entire day. I tell him, "Bud, you need to speak up and use your regular voice." He replies, barely audible, "thisismyregularvoice...." I dont know always what sets off the whining. Sometimes he feels hes been slighted, like if I make him give a toy to his brothers or if I say no to making double chocolate chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast. I dont like the whining, but, man, sometimes I need to laugh out loud because the level of whining he can reach is just absolutely ridiculous! Surely there is a Preschool Olympics somewhere I could enter him in...

I love that he has interests now besides just loud trucks or stacking blocks. He wants to build towers and cities for his action figures. He wants to get really good at baseball and basketball. He wants to ride his bike without training wheels. He wants to be an "army guy" and a sailor and a firefighter and Superman when he grows up. He wants to help with all my chores and know how to fold the laundry like I do. He wants to bathe himself, brush his own teeth, get himself ready by himself. He wants to walk close to me without holding my hand. He wants to show me how "awesome" his Listening Ears are, as we call them. He wants to know how things work and why things are the way they are. He wants to listen to the whole story and ask questions, read more stories about a topic. He wants to tell me everything he knows and everything he did that day (of course when he wants to tell me, not when I ask). He wants to be the worlds best big brother, the worlds best bike rider, the worlds best seat belt buckler, the worlds best popcorn eater...

There are still challenges. It is hard to balance his interests when Im also chasing twin 2-year olds. It is hard to listen to everything when we are in the midst of a move and I need to take the phone call. But that is just life. Life happens.

I love when parenting is this delightful, this joyful, this rewarding. There are many sleep-deprived nights, early mornings changing vomit sheets, horror at finding the diaper was removed sometime during afternoon nap, and tears shed over worry and heartbreak. And potty training. Really not looking forward to potty training our toddlers (putting it off for a long, long time). I dont want to jinx it, but I absolutely love 5-years old.

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weight loss during pregnancy in second trimester | Asthma STA 21 commissioning and PCSing Yikes!

weight loss during pregnancy in second trimester

Are you there, blog? Its me, Kimber.

It has been awhile since my last blog post and what a summer it has been!

The boys wearing matching outfits with their cousin
for my husbands commissioning weekend

Our asthmatic toddler had a flair up 3 weeks after we weaned him off Pulmicort under our doctors guidance. He hadnt had any flair ups and we wanted to see if he still needed daily medication in the summer months, as he is two-years old and is still considered to have "reactive airways." He caught croup which became bronchitis. We landed in the ER, following up with our pediatrician who thankfully followed up with us over the phone as well. Poor little guy was on Orapred in July, back on twice daily Pulmicort doses via nebulizer, and, during the flair up, Albuterol every 3-4 hours. We are keeping him on twice daily doses for 3 weeks before considering to wean him down to once a day, what he was on from May to the beginning of July. Weve also considered Singulair. Well see. Im going to go in and talk to our pediatrician again before we move from North Carolina to South Carolina (in 8 days). Im very (very, very, very) anxious about switching pediatricians this close to cold and flu season, especially since he has needed Orapred 3 times in a calendar year and did the Synagis vaccine last year-- also the number of ER visits he has needed. I feel that our current pediatrician is extremely involved in managing his asthma and that we receive excellent care from that office. The nurses know him. The front desk knows him. Our pediatrician is up to date on his treatment whenever we go in to talk to her and she calls us when hes having flair ups. Yeah, not sure we will find someone like her at the clinic on base, but well see. The clinic in Hawaii had great doctors, but it was hard to get an appointment and there was a lot of waiting. I also like having the childrens ER so close to us now, where we take him now when he needs help. In Hawaii we went to Tripler, which did not have a childrens ER and had really long waits. Im praying the clinic in South Carolina is much more up to date than in Hawaii or we may be switching him to TRICare Standard instead of keeping him on Prime. This is our first move with an asthmatic child.

Ah, yes, can you see there is a lot on my mind?

Our pack out is in 8 days. Our house is NOT ready for the movers to come. My husband graduated and commissioned this past week. Our three-year stay here in North Carolina has come to an end. It feels like we just moved here. In my "About Kimber" during the time hes been going through college with STA-21, it has said:

I started this blog to talk about our life as an active duty military family. With our current assignment, the focus has been much more on the family side of things than the Navy, mostly since the only time I have any Navy interaction is picking my husband up at the ROTC or the Navy/Marine Corps birthday ball.

That is all starting to change. I posted a blog summarizing what the STA-21 program is back in May (read "Seaman to Admiral "Officers" Program"). As I said, my husband just graduated, getting his degree in mechanical engineering in 3-years with a wife and three kids. I am so impressed with his accomplishment! It was a challenging road and often tested our marriage (read "Marriage"), just due to the stress of the program and the pressures of parenthood. One of my favorite things about this studly man that I married is that we always come out closer and better when we go through these challenges. I truly feel we are more in love now than when we got married over six years ago.

Now that hes graduated it is off to Power School. I know I posted information about this in my blog post "Seaman to Admiral "Officers" Program," but here is a quick summary again. Before my husband goes back to submarines (and starts going underway), he still needs to complete 3 Navy schools: power school, prototype, and Submarine Officer Basic School. When he enlisted just over 9 years ago he went through power school and prototype. Now that hes commissioned as an officer, he has to go through them again, this time as an officer. We are moving to South Carolina for him to go through power school. It is a 6 month school and we will be with him the whole time, though he will have long hours. Once he finishes power school, he will have to do prototype and Submarine Officer Basic School (SOBC). Prototype is 6 months long and we will also be with him the whole time, again, long hours. He may do prototype in South Carolina, meaning we wont have to move again, or he may do it in upstate New York, meaning we would be moving again. We wont find out where he is doing prototype until around the time he finishes power school, or just after. SOBC is about 2 months long and is unaccompanied. It is in Connecticut. He may go through SOBC after he completes power school or after he completes prototype; again, we wont find that out until later. Our lives for the next 1-2 years will be very "wait and see." We are just kind of taking all of this as it comes and making plans once we know for sure what we are doing (a big reason why we decided to homeschool for the next couple years). Im sure Ive shared this blog with you before, but I have found this blog helpful when learning about these 3 schools (I didnt know my husband when he went through them the first time), "Very) Unofficial Submarine Officer Pipeline Rundown." Here are the 3 posts on each of these schools: "Navy Nuclear Power School Rundown," "Navy Prototype Rundown (Ballston Spa Version)," and "Submarine Officer Basic School (SOBC) Rundown."

Im a little nervous about making friends again, especially with 3 little boys now. I feel like it will be a lot for my new, unsuspecting friends to take in. :) They arent as portable now that they are 5-years old and 2-years old; they have little minds of their own. I havent decided yet if Im going to join a local twin group there. I have enjoyed the playdates and the twice yearly consignment sale with my local twin group here in North Carolina. We shall see. I may just be busy balancing my husbands schedule and homeschooling our oldest in 5-year old preschool. I feel like my first priority will be finding activities for our boys.

The next couple weeks will be busy for us. I would love to write again soon; it helps me feel more calm and at peace with the world. Ive been working on a couple blog posts that I havent had time to finish or edit and would like to hopefully get them up, you know, when things settle down. Man, I have no idea what it will be like PCSing with 3 kids-- including 2-year old twins and a dog! We are in for an adventure!


Id love to hear from you!

If you have an opinion on using TRICare Prime or TRICare Standard, please share!

Also, Id love to hear your tips on PCSing with lots of kids! The last time we PCSd, we only had one child and he was 2-years old.

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