Squeaky’s Blog

We recently ordered Netflix and I already have a love hate relationship with it.  I love it don’t get me wrong it is awesome to just pull up a movie on the computer and watch it on my TV.  The part I hate is that WC is also in love with it and thinks he should watch a Netflix movie all day.  If he doesn’t get one he starts the whole spoiled whine about how he isn’t happy.  This is where I usually send him to his room to play or outside.  I have to say it is really nice when I am sick and just need to veg out while Giggles is napping.  The downfall is that WC is going to turn into a couch potato if I let him.  So, I can’t wait for it to warm up and we can go back to being outside all day.

I have been talking to a few friends about what they got their kids and how they do Christmas.  I am surprised to find out that they only buy a few presents like no more than 3 or 6 per child.  So, then I think about what I got the boys and just wonder.  I know I am cheap and I never spend a lot on anything.  I think the most I spent was on WC’s scooter which was $30 but everything else was $10 or less.  I think 3 things for Giggles was just over $10.  So, does not spending a lot make it easier to get more or just make me spoil them?  I know a bunch of crap came from the dollar store but that was the silly things that they want.  I keep thinking about what I got and where I got it from and wonder how they ended up with so much.  I think maybe because I spent it in different places at different times.  I know my mom helped a lot!  We have a five below store back home and she picked up a bunch of stuff and sent it to me.  Those were probably some of the nicer gifts too.  I mean I got WC a Spiderman game for his Gameboy that he is getting for $5.  The Gameboy cost me nothing though since I found it in the garage a few months ago.  It was DP’s I think but we don’t use it and why not it will be great for the car and the house time he will be limited though!  Then Giggles I found a few toys at Ikea (well my mom-and sent them to me), a few at Target (the ones just over $10) and had them mailed with free shipping and then a few from Family Dollar so they really did get a lot but I don’t think I spent that much on them.  All the stocking stuffers came from the dollar store or clearance racks for a buck.  I am really cheap and though I don’t think their toys reflect that.  I know a few things might but they are things that WC asked for and has bugged me about getting like a paddle ball and a jump rope.  All that being said I think I spent $100 on each kid and they have almost 20 gifts just gifts not stocking stuffers, which they have a stocking for each of them and then a stocking that is the same (like life savers, playing cards, ugh I forget but it’s the stuff you get both).  So, is that too much to spend or a normal dollar amount and if no that’s about what most parents spend then is near 20 gifts too much even if a bunch are little things?  They are still small so a lot of the things they get are small but when they get older I am sure it will change.  I know I was stressing when I started trying to get the gifts but I looked around and shopped sales and smart I think.  I don’t think I ever realized how many gifts they had until I went to wrap them.  Now I keep thinking they are going to open all these presents in front of our family and I don’t know what they are going to think.  I didn’t put anything on a credit card and I paid all my bills too along the way.  So, why do I keep feeling like I have to defend myself for what I got them or explain that I didn’t spend a lot?

I must say I am going to miss my sandy backyard and playing with the boys in it.  We don’t have a lot of neighbors and have been spoiled with the big yard.  I don’t think I knew how relaxing and fun it could be outside flying a kite for the kids until we did it.  We did have a few hiccups, like WC lost control of the kite.  It actually went pretty far before getting caught on something and DP managed to untangle it for us.  Then we lost another one on the roof, which came down the next day.  All in all though, it has been really nice playing at our private little beach.  I must say I won’t miss the mess it brings and the constant baby powder and showers required to remove the sand or the constant dumping sand out of shoes.  We will though begin a new journey with a covered & screened in back porch where they can play even in the rain.  We will have an Orange tree and a Tangerine tree that we can pull the fruit off.  I am looking forward to that since I love Tangerine’s and so does Giggles.  We will have less room and a few other trees but we will be able to walk to the lake.  I think we will be having little picnics and fishing at the lake a lot.  WC wants a Rocket fishing pole so much and my mother bought him one.  The only catch is he has to learn to write his name.  He is getting there little by little and is writing some numbers on his own.  I think it’s only a matter of time and he will be out there shooting the rocket fishing pole into the water and I just pray this time we don’t lose it in the lake like before.  It would make for a long walk home.  The stories we could tell though may be worth it in the end.  After all if we don’t have a few hiccups along the way are we really enjoying life? 

We are moving at the end of the month yet again.  We get the keys to the house and have a U-Haul all set up to rent on Saturday.  The only problem is we haven’t packed a thing.  DP is going tomorrow to get the paper work for the Army to move us but we don’t know if there will be time for them to get us in.  We finally found out that the Army is stepping in and helping with people who are renting and the owners are being foreclosed but the woman who does it was out last week.  The thing that may kill us is we have to be moved out by the first and since we are so far a way we just don’t know.  Tomorrow will be the day we find out if it’s going to be an easy move or a pain.  If we have to do it then I will be visiting Wal-Mart to get boxes and I guess spend the week packing everything I can.  I am hoping it won’t be too hard since we are just going across town.  I am also hoping that after this we can actually just settle in and things calm down.  We will also have new renters in our house in Oklahoma and we were able to up the rent a little too.   I am keeping my fingers crossed the Army will be able to get us in.

It seems to me that this is the best place we have ever been stationed.  DP went to get the boys Easter baskets last week the day before Easter.  I know we are horrible waiting until the last minute.  Anyway, when he got in the store they had this deal if you ordered the local paper you could get a gift card to the store.  It was great since we both wanted the paper anyway, he figured what the hell.  Well, the paper has started coming and in it there is a second paper that comes and it is basically a list of everything going on in the area.  It is amazing to me that there can be so much to do in one place.  I mean I know there is always things you can go do but the choices are huge and the fact that we know in advance is even better.  I remember in Oklahoma that it was few and far between events and they were never or poorly advertised until after the event had occurred.  The few times I remember hearing things on the news was only because they were things that the anchors liked.  Once they went on about the Rodeo coming into town for a week because they were involved.  But when the town had the kid’s day for Police and Fireman out at the park there was nothing until the event had ended that night.  So, we missed a lot of things and opportunity’s to go and yet we got the local paper and watched the news daily.  Here it’s in the paper every day, and we have choices galore.  I now find myself reading the second paper cover to cover wanting to highlight or circle specific things.   Then I can remember easily which things I want to go over with DP and which one we think the boys would enjoy the most.  This area seems to be so family friendly and I really think I might want to retire out here more and more.  I think this area might just be our little slice of heaven.  My hats go off to the community for all the great things they are doing for families.  My hope is that with the economy in such disarray and people being out of jobs, and losing their homes that the community can continue to thrive and be such an active one for families to enjoy.   

I have to say I love the commercials for Free Credit Report.com.  They are so fun to watch and the song is cool and upbeat.  The guy is also so very cute.  I must admit I think I have a little crush on him.  So, when I saw the new commercial for Comcast the other day I was not impressed.  I couldn’t understand the words to the song and it was just sad.  It was like looking at someone that was trying to be someone else, just like a wannabe.  Now every time I see that commercial I think of wannabe’s and how sad it is.  I saw the commercial again tonight and it’s like the 3rd or 4th time and I finally understood the words to it.  It makes sense now and isn’t so bad but still it’s just not the same.  I think Hillshire Farms commercials are okay and find myself singing along.  Yes I know I am a dork.  I feel bad for Comcast in a way.  I mean it just gives me no faith in them since they have this commercial that is hard to understand and not a new idea.  With all the people in advertising these days you would think they could come up with something more original.  I guess those were the high paid ones that either were laid off due to tough times or left for better pay somewhere else.  I say this because I really have no desire to switch my service to Comcast due to some wannabe commercial.  I really don’t even care what the prices are and I won’t be looking either.  I am in a 2 year contract with Dish and so far I am happy.  But back to Comcast, your graphics are cute and bubbly but the song is crap.  I won’t be singing it anytime in the future.  I will be singing along to Free Credit Report.com though.  I love those commercials and the guy in it. 

I think I love Florida.  I have to say first I miss snow.  That being said, this place for me is like a kid in a candy store.  There are shops after shops.  We have everything we could ask for really all within an hour or less.  The really big cities may be a little farther away, but still there is enough in this area to last a lifetime.  My favorite store is Target and we have one.  I find it funny though I think I have only been in it twice since we got here.  But I am not worried I have plenty of time.  The best part so far seems to me are the indoor play places to take the kids too. Then there are the lakes with the beaches too.  They have play areas at them for W.C. and I can’t wait to go.  Everything seems to come at a price and I am realizing that if we just get passes to them it really does pay off in the end.  We already have a pass for one of the play places.  I think next month I will be getting a pass for the parks and maybe checking out the other play place too.  I am just in shock at how different it is here than Oklahoma.  I mean there was nothing there for the kids to do.  Then here we have an indoor play place, then another one that is bigger without door things like go carts and more, we even have Chuck E. Cheese.  It’s great and I can’t wait for those rainy days where the boys need to let off energy but can’t go outside.  We so, have a plan now for those days.  Oh, and this one we have the pass to they have a little concession stand and it’s cheap.  I mean I can get a cheeseburger for 2 bucks and a soda for 1.  Movie theaters are a thing of the past now.  I am still in shock that it cost more for drinks and popcorn then it did to get into the theater.  That’s okay now because we are covered with a better activity than any movie and it won’t break my budget either.  I think I might have to stay here.  I even found a college with the degree program I want.  I found a few cheap day cares for the boys.  I can now pay for both of them to go a week for the price I used to pay for Giggles to go a week.  It’s crazy how much is different and how things have changed.  I think it’s going to be really good for us.  I even found the library in the neighborhood and we are going to check out the story times.  If we don’t like that one it’s fine since there are at least 3 more in town and they all do story times too.  Who knows maybe we will twice a week just to get out and do something.  The boys won’t stay small long and then they won’t want to do things with me.  I think I have a while on that though.  I do wonder with W.C. how long it’s going to take because even now at times when I hug and kiss him he tells me “Okay, that’s enough.”  It was sad the first time he said it but now it makes me smile.  I know he is growing up but now I know we are going to have fun along the way.  After all we are in Florida now with a hundred and one things to do and places’ to go.        

I have decided to call the baby Giggles from now on.  I think it fits him.  Well, for now it does.  He likes to go around the house getting into everything and giggle while he does it.  I think he knows he is up to no good.  Then again it could be that he is just so proud of himself that he can get around.  Who know but it’s cute so, from now on I will call him Giggles instead of the baby.  As for my husband I am going to call him D.P. since they are the initials of a nick name he acquired when we were dating.  So, to recap we also have W.C. which stands for Wild Child, since he is the oldest and fearless kid.  Then there is me known to you all as Squeaky.  This is a very common nickname but I have had it since high school and even now am told I still deserve the name.  That covers us all for now.  When and if we have another member to add I will update them with a nickname that best fits their personality.            

Well, after a long move and trying to get settled in to a new house I am back online.  Things have been turned upside down in so many ways.  We are starting to get back on track.  It is a process that is going slow.  Things are different here that is for sure.  It’s really nice to have every store I could think of in one area.  It seems to be nothing but stores here and places to eat.  I guess that’s what you get when you come to a high retirement community.  Oh and let me tell you the old people in the golf carts are a trip.  They are everywhere and they just zip through parking lots like there’s no tomorrow.  I had a parking space stolen by grandma in one yesterday.  I was so glad W.C. was at home or I would never have heard the end of it.  He would have gone on about how he wanted to ride one and been trying to climb in them the whole way in and out of the store.  But anyway, I need to get moving I am tired and have to go find some boxes buried in the garage.  I am missing a few important papers.  It always seems that the movers mislabel boxes and we have to go searching for things.  I guess the saying is right “some things never change,” and I should be used to it by now.