A Quick Update

Well, I guess it's been a while.
So today the baby, Ethan, is 11mo. Oh Man, what a ride! We just ended breastfeeding about 5 days ago. It was an amazing run, and I'm so glad and super proud we did it. He started walking a couple weeks before 10mo, and he just popped his 1st tooth about two weeks ago.
Ginger will be 3 in 4 months. Still not potty training. She has a language barrier that I am trying to break, and since losing my call center job I've notice her open up tremendously in the past 2 months. William PT'ed at 3, and truthfully I'm not that worried about that anymore.
William is doing amazing in school. He can read, write, do math, count to 100, tie his shoes...I mean wow! It's crazy what makes me happy these days. I am having to spend more quite time with just him, but its worth it. I'd do anything for him to be happy.
So, my kids are amazing marvals :)
On to us grown people...Josh is still trying to get back over to active duty. Paperwork isn't getting done by so and so, and time is short for his conditional release from the guard. He lost all the weight they told him to, and goes wherever they tell him to, but no one really seems to know why this is taking so long (or really what to do). So as of March 4th he has been out of a full time job for a whole year. It has been incredibly hard, but we make due. We had help from a handful of Angels, and by sheer luck we are not homeless right now.
I have another job starting tomorrow. It's my 3rd since coming to Arizona last August. The laptop died and I had to get another, thank goodness I did our taxes! It seemed like God knew we had money, so things were breaking, children grew out of their clothes, homeowners didn't pay their bills sending us-the tenants-into a forced move.
Ah yes, We are in the 5th home of the year. Luckily Will gets to stay at his school, but he doesn't get to ride the bus anymore. Kinda of straps us for job timing having to drive him back and forth, because we only have 1 vehicle, 3 kids, and not enough time in a day. I was thinking of getting a bike to ride to work, I think my job is only like a mile or 2 away, can't be too bad.
I'm still in school, but taking a break until April 4th, due to the comp breaking down. I'm on the Dean's List! Never in my life, until now have I given two poo's about school. It's nice to get good grades. I do want to take Medical Assistant classes though. I think that's what I really want to do. Someday.
Josh's birthday is in a week. I want to do something special but still have no clue what to do. I have a list of people/babies/kids who I am sewing things for. If I could thing of something to make for Josh life would be easier!
A Quick Update...yeah that ought to do it.

I made Dresses!

I made 3 dresses for Ginger last night. And mostly just guessing! From bottom to top, the first a Pillow Case Dress, which I found the pattern from cozycabinmom-who is on here, etsy, and cafemom. The second is a panel dress, which I bought from Joann's. The last is an old skirt of mine, which is now a dress of hers :)

Working on it [Life]

So, all right. We moved to AZ, and we got a place to live. I got a job on weekends, at a local church nursery. I live with a bunch of kids, why not get paid to do it 10hrs a weekend, possibly more?

End of week 3 of Kindergarten for Will. His pants were scribbled on with pencil and marker. Can I just say that I love how the uniform is khaki pants? Not black or anything. It was picture day, and his teacher did not take the check out of his backpack. Ugh, ok. So now I have to mail it off myself. Fine. Its Friday lets just relax.

William will be five on Tuesday. I'm not ready to ask if I can bring something for the class. I did that for him in preschool...it was a mess. I am making a cake for home and he will have his choice of dinner/takeout/restaurant. We have presents ready. Should be nice :)

I am going to do some sewing this weekend. I need to make some fleece aio's for Ethan. The wraps are best for him. Ginger needs something a bit slimmer these days. Potty training has taken a backseat to the move. Someday.

Daddy does Diapers

Since coming home from Iraq, Joshua has been very serious about his daddy duties. He is even on board with cloth diapers. Something I hear a lot from other women is that dads are just not willing to deal with cloth. Well, let me tell you...life in cloth is easier then life in disposables.

Number one reason I switched, cost, (money)! We are a military family and when you are just starting out in the Army your paychecks aren't much. With our first, William, I found myself out of diapers and out of money every month. And little Will would be in kitchen towels for a while!

Number 2 reason, Cloth diapers are CUTE and ECO-FRIENDLY!!! What more do you need!? A cute soft bottom or an expensive yet cheaply made plastic diaper you'll throw away in a matter of hours, possibly minutes? You're doing laundry anyway, so you'll never be out of cloth!

Joshua says for times when he flies solo with the kids, his favorite dipes are prefolds with covers and pocket dipes. Its easy. It saves us at least $80 a month! That is reason enough in itself!! Josh even used the word "Amazing!"

So come on Dads, give cloth a chance!

Quite the turn of Events!!

Well now, things aren't exactly as we thought they'd be but we are alive and healthy! We are in AZ now, after a brief tour in Cali. Long story short, it wasn't for us and we weren't really for it!

We are making it happen with no income and 3 small kids. We are looking for work and jumping on every opportunity. I still count as a work at home mom, even though I just became an independant caregiver for a local home health group. I haven't worked yet, but I'm excited to see whats ahead of me. I still try to sew and post new items to etsy often, and I have tons of ideas and fabric! Just trying to find the time and freedom for my hands. However, my 3rd baby just so happens to be my 1st EBF baby!! Thank you, thank you...:) I've worked hard, and I'm pretty darn proud!!

I want to keep this as up to date as possible with all of our websites and well, updates!

As always I'm on Etsy @ www.willngingersmom.etsy.com


Until next time!

Our Simple Life

Well, Josh got home from Iraq early Wednesday morning. This deployment was due to a stop-loss, so he is getting out of the Army in 90 days. Actually 89 days...cup of stress anyone?? We are going today after he gets off work to a realtor. After much hassel and worry, we are actually selling our house to another soldier (which is kind of what we were hoping for). So now, we are selling our house and then looking for a new place to live in California.



I'm sort of happy to be going home, but nervous and frustrated too. I know Joshua has better memories of home than I do. He has been so eager to go home since he left for basic 5 years ago. And today is the 4 year anniversary of when I moved out here, with a 2 month old William, and I can't say I want to be here forever but I can't really say I want to go back to the IE.

Josh has a job interview with the Border Patrol next Friday. And if he gets the job, we will be stationed close to the CA/Mexico border, and at least 2hrs away from our families. I am actually really happy about that part. I mean, over the past 4 years I've gotten used to being alone and it works for me. I can see how the families are all over each other out there and I am not looking forward to that. Being by the border will make it so people cannot just drop by, and that sounds good to me.

We've just so much to do and so little time to do it in. Right now all we can do is hope for the best. I hope everything works out.

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