"Are we there yet?"

I heard this question a lot yesterday morning. I told Jack that after we dropped off Afton at school, we would be going back home.

He replied, "To the hotel?"

I said, "No, to our actual home."

Ecstatic, "Sweet! Are we there yet?"

He asked 5 times on the freeway that we have taken twice a day for the last two months. He knows just exactly how long it actually takes us to get home, but he was just so excited that he kept wishing that time would speed up and we'd be there already. "Are we there yet?"

We ALL are wishing time would speed up so we could be back in our home permanently, but oh well. (Patience. I've heard it's a virtue, or some nonsense like that. Ha!)

When we got HOME, he wanted to "Watch a Flash, poop in my own potty, then do an activity. Oh, and eat some candy too."

So, we did those things.

Flash. Poop. Activity. Candy.

Jack has done a great job learning his letters and all their sounds. He had his numbers down, but we hadn't practiced them for a few weeks, so review was in order. He always struggles with recognizing 6, 7, 8, & 9 so I focused on those. 

Paper plate, clothes pins, and a marker was all we needed. 

I alternated the color of dots so it was easier for him to keep track of the numbers so they didn't seem to blend together. 

This was also an easy way to help out his fine motor skills, again.

Good practice and review.

Nice work boy!

"And then when we are done, we can turn him into a spider named Flash Jack Spider.  Now can I have some candy?"

What's with all the bacon?

I think I'm getting old. Well, I know I'm getting older, but I think I have hit that crotchety age that gets bothered by the young new generation. I'm at that point, bloody hipster kids.

There are a few terms these days that make me feel like the grumpy old lady in her rocking chair screaming at those blasted teenagers for their loud music and body piercings.

Just to name a few (because there are SO many more)...

-I despise the term BESTIE. It's just completely annoying.

-What the crap is a BAE? One of my old students explained it to me, but it was so irritating that I already forgot what it meant.

-Cray Cray. Self explanatory. If I have to explain it, then that means you've probably used that phrase, and you should be ashamed of yourself.

-Please, please, PLEASE spell out your words. None of this, LOL, TTYL, BRB nonsense. How completely lazy are you? Yes, I spelled are you, NOT AS IF it is only letters - R U. Argh. Maybe that's just the teacher in me, but come on people. They are actually words, and no one has a limited texting plan anymore, so just do yourself a favor for your future encounters in the real world, SPELL OUT WHAT YOU REALLY WANT TO SAY!

-One last thing that drives me crazy is the term foodie. I looked it up online and the first definition that popped up, was simple.

food·ie 

ˈfo͞odē/

noun

informal

a person with a particular interest in food; a gourmet.

synonyms:gourmet, epicure, gastronome, gourmand

I looked for another one because I felt like who isn't honestly interested in food? The next one I found made me literally laugh out loud. (See HOW easy it is to spell it whole entire words people?)

According to urbandictionary.com,

This is exactly how I feel about the term foodie.

We went to this FOOD truck festival last weekend, Sunset Park'd. I was excited, because, I'm generally interested in food. Especially good food. As I walked from truck to truck, I couldn't comprehend one reoccurring ingredient. It was on every menu, in some form.

Honestly, what's with all the bacon?

In order to be a Foodie, does that mean you have to have bacon in absolutely everything on your menu? Must it be your flavor of choice for breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Even dessert? Gross!

When I was younger, and NOT AS wise as I am now, I ate bacon. I would eat a great deal of bacon actually - my aunt Joanie made it the best. It tasted fine, but my desire to eat bacon ceased after I watched a certain scene from a movie, Pulp Fiction (Great movie, but VERY VERY VERY VERY R-Rated). I believe Jules said it best when he clearly explained why he, and now I, no longer eat bacon.

Vincent: Want some bacon? 

Jules: No man, I don't eat pork. 

Vincent: Are you Jewish? 

Jules: Nah, I ain't Jewish, I just don't dig on swine, that's all. 

Vincent: Why not? 

Jules: Pigs are filthy animals. I don't eat filthy animals. 

Vincent: Bacon tastes gooood. Pork chops taste gooood. 

Jules: Hey, sewer rat may taste like pumpkin pie, but I'd never know 'cause I wouldn't eat the filthy mother hopper. Pigs sleep and root in poop. That's a filthy animal. I ain't eat nothin' that ain't got sense enough to disregard its own feces. 

Vincent: How about a dog? Dogs eats its own feces. 

Jules: I don't eat dog either. 

Vincent: Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? 

Jules: I wouldn't go so far as to call a dog filthy but they're definitely dirty. But, a dog's got personality. Personality goes a long way. 

Vincent: Ah, so by that rationale, if a pig had a better personality, he would cease to be a filthy animal. Is that true? 

Jules: Well we'd have to be talkin' about one charming motherhoppin' pig. I mean he'd have to be ten times more charmin' than that Arnold on Green Acres, you know what I'm sayin'? 

Clearly, Jules (yes a fictional character, I know) and I don't understand what could possibly be so intriguing about bacon. I don't get this phenomenon in the Foodie world, but that is just fine with me.

I happily enjoyed many things that day without bacon - no bacon bits, bacon juice, or even bacon flavor. Hence, why I'm NOT a Foodie. (I should NOT be admitting that I enjoyed MANY things that day. Oh well.) You can keep your nasty bacon, I'll just eat everything else!

Caprese Sandwich, Pastrami Melt with grilled onions, Mac and Cheese bites, and some bacon sandwich my sugar DEVOURED! - filthy animal

Then dessert.

DOLE pineapple treat

S'mores Funnel Cake

The kids had fun playing on all the bounce houses. 

Here Afton was telling Jack, "We're going to go down this together and we're doing it fast."

"Zoooooooom!"

Grandma had fun too.

 She missed the pumpkin patch this year, so this made up for it!

I don't think I'll EVER understand the Foodie World's fascination with bacon. But that's okay. I'll stick to Pulp Fiction's Jules' explanation of pork. "Pigs are filthy animals. I don't eat filthy animals."  I know I'll be better off in my life without bacon, then Marvin in that movie. 

It doesn't really make sense to the bacon theme of this post, but I just love the line...

"America, the Beautiful"

"Mom, remember that one time last year (last weekend) when I was in that helicopter and I shot down that military airplane? Remember the one that was across the street (tarmac) and all the people were climbing in it to make sure it was okay? Remember how I was protecting our country to help us be safe and free? REMEMBER MOM?"

I had to explain to Jack that although he was in the military helicopter, he did not actually shoot down a plane. He just gave me a frustrated look and said, "Well, I was still helping people be safe and free. Ugh Mom."

I'm glad that he was so proud to help people be safe and free. I hope his love for others, and their safety remains with him always. I also hope his love for this country is as strong as it was that day. 

We had a lot of fun at the Aviation Nation this Veteran's Day Weekend. My brother and his family invited us, basically because they wanted to use our military access to get on the base, but it was okay being used. It was worth it, because it made us go to air show, and it really was a great experience.

I was amazed at the machinery these brave men and women use to help us stay safe and have the freedoms that we have, that I know I take for granted. I was impressed by their love for country. I was thankful for the spirit of brotherhood, patriotism, and unity that was felt there. 

I am so thankful for these heroic men and women. They commit so much of themselves to serve and protect this great country. I appreciate how they help us be safe and free. I'll always remember them, both past, present, and future. I hope I can instill in my children a love for the United States of America and for all those who serve, especially their Daddy.

"O beautiful for heroes prov'd

In liberating strife,

Who more than self their country loved,

And mercy more than life.

America! America!

May God thy gold refine

Till all success be nobleness,

And ev'ry gain divine."

This needs to be said, however. This sign and it's clarity explain basically every experience I have when dealing with the base, be it in the hospital, DEERS, security, the BX, or Tricare. Everything is always unclear, and no one seems to know how to help me. But, I am still thankful for their service to protect our nation.