Four Year Olds Suck

I used to have this saying that I shared with my friend Chrissy - “three year olds suck.” Well, since Xander has turned four I’ve had to adapt the saying. So, now I believe “four year olds suck” and here’s why. The hissy fits are horrible! We try and do everything “right” and limit television, limit games, have consequences for actions, naptime, “talking to” and everything else. We aren’t perfect parents but we, as all other parents do, want what’s best for our son.

Where this completely spoiled, on the floor howling banshee came from I have no idea.

He’s just not in “listening mode” anymore. You say anything to this child and he flips the freak out.

He is directly disobedient and then absolutely FREAKS when he has to pay for it. Case in point, him and his daddy were playing the Wii and he kept jumping up and down in front of his daddy, not sharing, not listening, etc. So - my husband turned off the game. I said “five minutes until bath” which he knows since Dora was on and she was singing her “We Did It” song signifying the end of the show. Well, he throws a screech-fit and throws himself on the floor. I know he’s tired. So, I calmly say - alright, turn off the television it’s time for bath. He walks up to the tv and gets sucked in the watching the damn “Jumparounds” (gawd I hate them!) and his daddy steps in.

Xander is told to turn off the television now or no bath tonight. Of course he ignores that and daddy turns off the television and says alright, no bath tonight.

TANTRUM!!!!!!!!

They are in Xander’s room and I think hubby is giving Xand a stern talking to. These fits are just ridiculous. We need to maintain the “no bath” tonight - hopefully hubby doesn’t promise him a bath.

May 29, 2009 | Filed Under Uncategorized | 2 Comments

April Fools! You Weren’t REALLY Promoted!

134 on E-6 list by mistake; others left off
By Mark D. Faram - Staff writer - Navy Times
Posted : Friday May 29, 2009 10:03:18 EDT

Because of an error in calculating advancement quotas, 134 full-time support sailors in 15 ratings who should not have been on the spring E-6 list were identified for advancement to petty officer first class, Navy officials say.

Also, officials say another 31 sailors in 11 ratings will advance, also because of a miscalculation of quotas; some ratings were shorted quotas they were supposed to get.
“I know it is a very bad thing to hear on Thursday you are going to be advanced to first class petty officer and then find out the following Wednesday that it’s not true,” said Rear Adm. Dan Holloway, head of manpower plans and policy for the chief of personnel.
“So we are working with the individual commands who have sailors effected by this to notify them individually.”
Further complicating the issue is the fact that many of the misidentified sailors already may be wearing first-class crows. New command-delivered education requirements that must be met before sailors can be frocked will not kick in for E-6 sailors until this fall’s advancement cycle.
Frocking is a Navy tradition that allows sailors to assume the title, responsibilities perks of their new rank before they are paid for it.
The error was discovered May 26 by a community manager at Navy Personnel Command who brought it to the attention of his leadership, Holloway said.
“This was caused by an error in the transcription process,” Holloway said. “Specifically, the error occurred as the quotas from the approved spread sheet were manually entered into proper form to be sent down to Pensacola [Fla.] where the cutoff levels are set and the names of those to be advanced are generated.”
Because of the incident, the transcription procedures are being reviewed, and Holloway expects that extra checks will be put into the system from now on.

Seriously Navy, are you freaking KIDDING ME? I can’t even imagine dealing with this! The “hey guess what” calls have been made, the “congrats” have already been flowing … it’s HIGHLY embarrassing - and it’s not even the Sailors’ fault! There are going to be some severe fallout from this. I’m calling it.

May 29, 2009 | Filed Under Articles/News | Comments Off

Countdown Candy Jar

A great blog for military families, “Bursting with Pride” (http://www.burstingwithpride.org/) has posted an interesting article about whether to add to those deployment candy jars and paper chains or take them away.

We’ve never done the candy jars; but we’ve used the calendar method (BIG x’s crossing off days) and the paper chain.

Check out the post on Bursting with Pride!! More ideas can be found on Military One Source!

May 4, 2009 | Filed Under Deployments, Family | Comments Off

Military Discounts

Are you interested in Military Discounts in your area? MilitaryAvenue has launched the “Military Alerts System” which will bring businesses that provide local military discounts to your email inbox! This will put the businesses in your area that are military-friendly in the forefront of your mind.

The emails will go out once a month (usually on the 1st). You can sign up for the program by visiting the MilitaryAvenue website or by clicking here!

April 29, 2009 | Filed Under Articles/News, Support the Troops | 1 Comment

Wednesday Hero

This Week’s Post Was Suggested & Written By Mary Ann

Sgt. Kenneth G. Ross
24 years old from Tucson, Arizona
7th Battalion, 159th Aviation Regiment
September 25, 2005

“He believed in serving his country,” said Ross’ father, David C. Ross. Gary Anderson, Ross’ best friend and an Army infantry veteran who served nine months in Afghanistan and 11 months in Iraq during his active duty stint, was a classmate of Ross at Marana’s Mountain View High School. “You know, I heard this news of Ken and I broke down and cried hysterically,” said Anderson, now a firefighter for the Ak-Chin Indian Community in Maricopa. “He loved everyone; everyone who came in contact with him loved him. He’d always help everyone out that he could.”

A 1999 graduate of Mountain View, Ross played drums in the marching band and orchestra, his father said. Ross enlisted in the Army right after graduation. “He just wanted to take part in history,” Anderson said.

At the time of his death, he was a helicopter mechanic — acting as a door gunner on his last mission, his father said. SSgt. Ross was killed when his helicopter went down southwest of Deh Chopan, Afghanistan. Also killed in the crash were Sgt. Shawn A. Graham, Warrent Officer Adrian B. Stump, Sgt. Tane T. Baum, Chief Warrent Officer 2 John M. Flynn and Sgt. Patrick D. Stewart.

Along with his father, SSgt. Ross is survived by his mother, Mary Ross, 57, and his sister, Stephanie Ross, 30. “I know his last thoughts were for everybody else and not for himself,” Anderson said. “I know he wanted to make sure everybody was safe and would go home.”

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

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