Jared Is Home!

Jared came home from Okinawa today! That's a picture of the three of us at the pick-up site. I guess it took him around 28 hours to get home with both the flying and the waiting around and bus travel. Einar recognized him and was giving him big smiles even though the little guy is sick (more on that in the next paragraph). It was so great to see him and be able to take him home with us. I made some pizza when we got home and then after the dishes were done I had to tuck in both of the guys around 7:30.

Einar has the 24 hour intestinal clean-out bug that he got from me. I had it on Saturday night and he came down with it yesterday around lunch time. Vomit and diahhrea but no aches and pains. It seems to go away in a day, but Einar threw up right before dinner again, so we are having another upstairs sleepover so that I can hear him and so we won't be around the carpeting downstairs. It worked pretty well last night. It's so quiet around here that I might just go to bed as well so I can play with the boys in the morning.

New Sofa!

Today was a red letter day not only because there is a new red sofa in our living room, but also since Elf Einar and I finished our Christmas Shopping! Whew, I think I'll put my feet up on the chaise and relax a bit with a Thomas the Tank Engine book and the little elf boy with the runny nose and new molars.

Jared comes home in 4 Days! I sure didn't get everything done on my "deployment to-do list," but the sofa was delivered before he arrived (just barely), his car just got its oil change, we can relax together as a family and not get tied-up in Christmas shopping, and even though we had to live apart as a family for the past six months I had a good time with Einar and didn't mope around the house. It will be great to have him home again! Ok, so maybe I'll cook him a few meals when he arrives, but won't it be nice to wake up to an aebleskiver or waffle breakfast on the weekend that I didn't have to make? He's already given me his grocery list of things that he is looking forward to eating and it includes buttermilk for those breakfasts, steak, potatoes, green beans and a couple of other Jared foods. He also gets to choose what we are serving for Christmas dinner.

I asked Einar if he remembers who Daddy is and he said "Yah!" and then ran out into the hallway to point at our wedding photos. Jared is also the only person that Einar has been willing to "talk" to on the phone this week. I'm using "talk" in quotations because he typically remains silent as he listens to the person on the other end of the phone call.

Jared and Friends visiting Peace Memorial in Okinawa

Picture compliments of Judith via Martha.

Birthday Preparations for Nathan

Einar's friend, Nathan, turned 2 on Thursday so we spent some time being crafty and made him a birthday card with markers and we also baked a cake together in honor of Nathan. Nathan never got to eat any of the cake, but that is beside the point, right? Einar was really getting into the artwork as you can see by his dripping blue beard. Thankfully they make washable markers now so it all washed off (except for the blue-tinted teeth). Then it was cake time and Einar helped stir the cake before it went into the oven. He also got to help eat it! I'm posting the recipe for the cake as well since it is so easy and delicious.

Wacky Cake

Oven to 350 F.

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
3 Tbsp cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder

Sift together the above ingredients and put in an 8 x 8 pan (NOT
greased). Make 3 holes in the dry ingredients (the kids love doing
this part) and,
in one hole put: 1 tsp vanilla
in one hole put: 5 Tbsp oil (I use canola or olive, but NOT Extra
Virgin Olive Oil)
in one hole put: 3 Tbsp plain white vinegar

Over the top of everything, pour 1 cup warm water. Mix together
everything in the pan with a wire whisk or fork, and be sure to use a
spatula to go around all the corners and mix in all dry ingredients.

Bake at 350 F for 25 minutes. Let cool completely. Can be iced in the
pan - this is a very moist cake, so be careful if you remove it from
the pan before icing, it could fall apart.