Ode to Tom...grocery shopping and other thoughts

Army life certainly has its ups and downs. They seem to have their own crazy ways of accomplishing "the mission". One of the greatest things about being in the Army though, is that Tom has taken over the grocery shopping! This is accomplished by the fact that we live about 35 minutes from the base, so it makes no sense for me to go all the way there to shop at the commissary. Some of you must know letting your husband loose in the grocery store can be dangerous. He has definitely learned to recognize the different types of lettuce. It has also really forced me to be more articulate as far as what we need from the store (with the added bonus of forcing me to put together a menu for the week, which has really been good for me). If I want something of a certain type, I must be completely explicit in its description (and even so, I may end up with white vinegar instead of white wine vinegar because it was the only white vinegar he could see). I also have to be very accepting of what I get if I am not good in my description (or sometimes even if I am). However, if I want a really good soft toilet paper, I make sure not to get toilet paper myself, because Tom always seems to get the best without regard to price. I am so lucky that way. Well, I count myself blessed overall to have such a great husband. He really does a great job of taking care of our family. (And I am not just saying that because I want him to continue doing the grocery shopping...even after he gets out of the army).

This week has been a hot and sweaty one here in Missouri. We really get the extremes in weather here. It wouldn't bother me that it is so hot if I knew I wasn't facing a winter of ice storms and frigid wind. Reili comes home from school on the bus (which I imagine is very hot since there isn't air conditioning on it) sweaty with bright red cheeks. So far her words to describe kindergarten are "long and boring". Doesn't give me much hope for the next 13 years. Maybe it will be better this week. I think it is hard to get used to going a full day at first and I am hoping she will get used to it and it will become more interesting as they learn things she hasn't learned already. We had to get Reili some new tennis shoes this week because that is what they requested that the kids wear everyday. She of course chose the Dora shoes. So guess who has the more expensive tennis shoes in the family! Yup, take a look at this picture. Here are my Asics running shoes that are at least twice as large as her shoes. Tom bought them for me at the PX and they were cheaper ($15.97) than those Dora shoes at Payless ($17.99). Now I know that Asics are typically more expensive, but still...you'd think that little shoes should be cheaper since they use so much less material. I know this is really a trivial matter, but I just had to point it out.

Amberly tells me she misses Reili everyday. I actually think it has been harder for her to adjust to Reili being in school than it has for Reili. She has cried some mornings when we drop Reili off and it makes me sad. She loves to go to the bus stop and wait for Reili in the afternoon and they always give each other a hug when she gets off the bus. It is so cute. I think we will all get used to this new routine soon though. In a few months, Wesley will be moving around and causing enough of a ruckus to keep us all entertained (and me constantly on the move).