Fireworks...

We went to Surf City to watch the fireworks on Friday night. Patti is the one who told me about it, so she went, as did my nephew Noah. This was Cade's first real Fourth of July, so it was important to me that he got to see fireworks! But Saturday I knew we were going to be at the beach all day, plus having a cookout with friends. And no one else wanted to brave Onslow Pines to see their fireworks because leaving after the show is a nightmare! Onslow Pines is located on a two lane road, so getting out takes forever!

I didn't realize how busy Surf City was going to be, it took forever to get on the island. But we managed to find a good parking spot and ventured out towards the festivities. Just over the bridge there is a park right by the water on the sound side. There is a playground and a board walk that wraps around a portion of the sound. It is really beautiful! They had the board walk decorated in red, white, and blue, so it was really festive! They have a stage out there as well and a band was playing music. We walked the board walk as we waited for the fireworks to start. There is a little dock that come off the board walk that was empty. I saw that as the perfect spot to sit and watch the fireworks!

We took our flip flops off and dangled our feet in the water. I should have brought the bug spray with me though! The mosquitoes were horrible! They were even biting my back through my shirt! Cade became a little squirmy as we waited for the show to start. There was no railing or anything to keep him on the dock, so he kept trying to lower himself into the water! That was great! I just knew before the night was over he was going to end up in the water! But I managed to some how keep him dry! Much to his dismay I might add!
Here is a picture from the dock we were sitting at. Just across from us and to the right is where the playground and stage are located.



So The show finally started...and here are some pictures of that!

My first show...whether I wanted it to be or not!

We ventured out to the beach today, like so many other people did! I went to the beach Tuesday and Thursday and there were not nearly as many people out those two days like there were today! The other two days I went, I wore my apron back tankini, it has an open back. Today however, I chose to wear my black and white tankini which has no straps, it's more of a tube top! I wanted to let the strap lines I had from my other bathing suit get some sun.

Cade is scared of the ocean, I think it could be the waves he's scared of, although I'm not 100% sure. It's funny he is scared of the ocean because he isn't scared of the pool or the bath tub. He will climb into a bath tub by himself, turn on the water and plug the tub! He also has no problems climbing into a pool, whether an adult is with him or not! I will say it does make going to the beach with him easy since he stays away from the water! The waves weren't very big today, it was definitely calm compared to yesterday. Since it was so calm, I decided to take Cade into the water, past where the waves were breaking. The beach we went to today had tons of shells in the water, right where the waves were breaking. It hurt trying to get past that part because there were so many, I guess my feet are tender. When a wave broke it would send shells crashing against my feet and shins and that didn't feel really good either. But once we made it past the breaking waves it was calm with just tiny waves coming in from the ocean. We were waist deep, although when a wave came in it would rise to about chest level. Cade was a little whiny, not liking the waves that came in, but the purpose of going out there was to help him over come his fear! We stayed out for a little while and then I ventured back to the shore with him.

I spent the next couple of hours tanning in my chair and watching Cade! While he doesn't venture towards the water, he will venture towards people, especially if they have food! He'll walk up and look at them and it never fails, they always give him whatever it is they are eating! I think he must have an, "I'm really cute, can I please have what you are eating," face that he puts on or something! I do try to keep him away from people! But he is a very busy little boy out there! And usually the people he walks up to are people he's already been walking up to because he is so curious and they go on and on about how cute he is! He really is a big hit at the beach! The other day this guy was throwing trash away and Cade was watching him as he did it. As the guy threw the trash into the bag Cade started clapping, which is what we do at home! The guy thought it was so funny! It was just a little later when he was eating and Cade walked over to investigate! He walked away with a Capri Sun! I probably don't have to worry about lugging a cooler out there any more! He could just pan handle off the beach goers! Actually they think he is so cute they just want to feed him!

Just before we were going to leave I decided to take Cade into the water again. Going out before did nothing to help his fear! He wouldn't even stand on the shore where the waves came in after they broke! This time I waited till really small waves came in to break, I had learned my lesson before with the shells! I started in and made it past the breaking waves. Just in front of me my two nephews, Caleb and Patric, were out on their boogie boards. As I headed to them I saw a bigger wave coming in, this wave began to crest a bit too early! It broke right where Cade and I were, sending me tumbling towards the shore with him. All I could think was, "don't let go, don't let go, don't let go!" I was afraid of losing Cade in the wave, I didn't want that to happen. I did my best to try to keep us somewhat above water as this wave had us tumbling about. Cade of course was screaming in between going in and out of the water. I managed to hang on to him and survive being thrown around in the ocean. The wave had broke early and had sent us back towards shore. I started to stand in order to try again, but as I did I realized that my bathing suit top had been pulled down in the chaos of being thrown about by the wave!

I immediately dropped back into the water and tried to fix my top! But unfortunately that wave had pushed us right to the very spot where all the waves were breaking! So as I was trying to fix my top a wave broke and sent us tumbling again! All I had to do was stand up because the water was very shallow, but if I stood up I would have been exposed to all the beach goers! My dignity was so great that it would not allow me to do that! Another wave came crashing down on us and then my bottoms were pulled down a little, so I definitely wasn't going to stand at that point! I had Cade with one arm and with the other I was try to scramble to fix myself before another wave broke! But the waves were coming in so fast that I could never quite get myself together before we were sent tumbling again. My adrenaline kicked in as I fought to keep us both above water, while trying to tug at my bathing suit, and keep the entire beach from seeing me naked! I began to panic just a little bit as Caleb happened to come in on the next wave that came crashing down on us. I yelled at him to had me his boogie board, he kind of just stared at me. I asked again for it and told him to take Cade. I'm sure he could sense the panic in my voice as I yelled at him. He took Cade who was at this point screaming from being bashed over and over by the never ending waves. I held the board in front of me as I again tried to fix myself before another wave broke. But the waves just kept coming in and breaking, knocking me and my bathing suit about. Tara had been standing on the shore just in front of me, totally unaware of what was taking place, because she was in the middle of texting someone on her cell phone. The crashing sounds of the waves were so loud that our screams could not be heard. I screamed at Tara to come help me. I don't know what she could have done, maybe stood in front of me so that I could have had something blocking me...I don't know. As she looked at me and took notice of the situation, she did as any true friend would have done, she busted out laughing at me! It was great!

Here I was with my bathing suit top pulled down and my bottoms not in place either! All I had was a boogie board that I was holding in front of me, which for some reason I kept trying to wrap around myself, but those boogie boards aren't very bendable! The waves just kept coming, I had but seconds in between each one to try and fight with my suit before the next wave knocked me over again! It began to seem like a hopeless situation! And my best friend in the whole world was up on shore laughing at me! Ok, I can't say that if the situations were reversed I wouldn't have been laughing at her!

Over and over again I was knocked around. I struggled against the waves pushing me forward and the receding force of the water as it tried to suck me back into the ocean. It was a struggle to maintain my position against an almost simultaneous pushing and pulling while at the same time trying to fix myself! Just as I would get one side of the suit in place another wave would come in and knock both me and suit around, my efforts were almost pointless!

I have no idea what happened, whether the hand of god came down from the heavens and stilled the water, or there was just a long pause before the next wave broke. But miraculously I managed to get the top and bottom of my bathing suit in place and stand! I could hear the angels singing hallelujah as I stood! I staggered in towards the shore, my body tired from the struggle. I did all I could do, I threw my arms up on either side of me and kinda leaned forward like I was taking a bow, with a big smile upon my face! I wasn't sure if anyone took notice of the show, but if someone had, I wanted to bow!

I walked back to my chair and collapsed into it, it was then that I realized that my bottoms were full of tiny shells! I could feel them poking me! As I sat there I began to feel the stinging of all the tiny cuts I had scattered about on my legs. As I looked my legs over I could see little amounts of blood escaping the cuts I had from the shells on the ocean floor!

Luckily I managed to escape that situation with out being butt naked on the beach...but I think it's safe to say that Cade will be terrified of the ocean for the rest of his life!

When we got home the first thing I did was shower! As I peeled my suit off the clattering of shells falling out could be heard! You should have seen my bathroom floor it was covered in tiny pieces of shell! At the very least I got a really good exfoliation courtesy of the ocean!

Is there a such thing as Computer Protective Services?

My name is Hewi, people call me HP for short. I'm a computer, a pretty loyal computer! My owner, Donna, she takes good care of me and keeps me clean inside and out. But her son, if he gets hold of me, well it's a nightmare! He pushes all of my buttons and causes me to freeze up because I can't process all the commands as fast as he bangs away! Yesterday Donna took a shower. She left me closed up on her bed, she forgot to put me up! She put on a movie for that crazy kid to watch in her room.

He pretended to watch the movie, that kid is slick! But as soon as she stepped in the shower he grabbed me! He opened me up and he violated me! I tried to pretend I was in a happy place as he banged away at my keys. But then he started prying my precious keys off of my keyboard! I can't take it anymore I tell ya! I need to be rescued! I've been abused by an insane little boy! I've been traumatized and I don't know that I will ever be the same again!

Donna called the Geek Squad at Best Buy. I heard her talking to them about me. She is going to drop me off with them, I'll get at least a week away from that little boy! She has an extended warranty on me and thankfully they don't consider a one year old prying my keys off as malicious! I will be put back together physically, but mentally I will never be the same! I need help! I need for someone to help me escape this tortuous toddler! I am planning to try to escape. Can anyone help me? Please help me! I need a get away car!

Check out Cade's Picture of the Day!

Brownie the Dog - A Touching Tail~

We hear stories of pet adoptions all the time. A family finds a dog and brings their new pet home. But how do we know if this pet really likes their new family? You never hear of a dog choosing their family.

I have a tail to tell about Brownie the Dog. A dog who went on a search for her new home and found the very best family a dog could ask for! She took matters into her own hands!

One morning right before Easter I woke up and started my normal routine. I let the dogs out and noticed a puppy standing outside. I of course wondered where she came from, but didn't have time to investigate. I had to make sure Kai was getting ready for school and get the baby dressed and fed. We finished getting ready and we went outside to head to the car. This puppy was very friendly and greeted us as we walked out. She even followed us to the car and was as sweet as she could be. I backed out and didn't expect to see her when I returned home. I dropped Kai off at school and headed to the gym. I returned home and there this dog was laying on my door step!

I thought for sure she must belong to someone in the neighborhood. I just knew someone would come looking for her. But no one ever did and she never left the yard! Instead she played with the kids and our other dogs and looked as happy as any dog ever did! The kids eventually named her Brownie, probably because she was brown, but the name stuck. And so did she! She never left. She slept outside and was always ready and waiting anytime we went outside. Weeks passed and still she never left and no one ever came to claim her. Tara finally bought her a bright pink collar and we invited her into our homes. Sometimes she stays at my house and sometimes she stays at Tara's house. We have shared custody! LOL!

I have never seen a dog more happy to wear a collar than our Brownie! Of course the pink collar isn't too pink anymore! It's dirty from swimming in our pond with the other dogs!

I don't know where Brownie came from or who she could have belonged to. I think she may have even been dumped in the neighborhood. Who knows. But I think Brownie was wondering around when she came upon our land. She saw that there were other dogs and kids that she could play with. She was fed and had a place to sleep. She even had a pond to cool off in and woods to explore. I think Brownie saw our property as a kind of Dogtopia! And so she adopted us as her new family.

She is a good dog! She knows the command 'sit' and she seems to be house trained for the most part. She is very loving, although sometimes she forgets just how big she really is! She doesn't realize that her size is capable of knocking Cade over! When she first arrived we had a problem with her knocking Cade over when she greeted him! She would run up and jump on him, knocking him over, and then she would lay on the ground in front of him and try to snuggle up close to him. All the while Cade would be crying because this dog just jumped on him and knocked him over! We finally got her to quit doing that. She didn't mean him any harm, she just didn't realize how big she was!

So that is how Brownie the Dog found a family and that has to make us the most special family around...because a dog chose us!

Brownie found her 'achuna matada'...no worries for the rest of her days!

Something Worth Thinking About

I am going to step outside of my humorous box for a moment. I watched a movie tonight. It doesn't matter which movie, just a movie based off of actual events. I watched a movie because I choose not to have cable. I choose not to have cable because I don't watch tv. I had it there for my oldest son Kai and he no longer lives with me. So more often than not, the tv was off.

I watched this movie about events that took place before I was born. Not too long before I was born, just a few years. I will be the first to admit that I live in my own little world! I do that by choice! I choose not to watch the news that comes on because I hate hearing about all the hate and violence that goes on, not only in my city, but around the world. It's rare to hear something good on the news. Or so it would seem to me. I found out about Ed Mcmahon, Farrah Fawcett, and Michael Jackson all at once...through Facebook, courtesy of my friends!

These are my thoughts on the news. They tell you about things to be scared of. I have always been a firm believer in ignorance is bliss and what I don't know won't hurt me. Now maybe that makes me an ignorant redneck or maybe that helps me live a more peaceful less fearful life. I don't want to run around in fear of swine flu or the Craig's List Serial Killer or what ever danger the ABC news feels I should fear.

I want to live my life and see the beauty of the world. I don't want to sit and wonder what kind of a world I brought my children into. Watching that movie made me think that. It's funny how everyone is trying to be politically correct now days and try to separate church and state. Has anyone ever realized that religion and politics kind of go hand in hand? The wars that are being fought today go back, way back, back to biblical times! And over land! And yet it is all political now.

I am sitting here typing this out and my little man Cade is sleeping so very peacefully next to me. He looks so at peace, so beautiful, and so safe. He feels safe. I feel safe. I feel safe in my ignorant little world. And yet there are mothers around the world who are staring at their children, just as I am now, and they don't feel safe. The sounds of gunfire and bombs exploding is an everyday reality. Does anyone realize how lucky we are to be Americans. How lucky we are to sleep safely and soundly in our little ignorant worlds safe from the chaos of the world?

I am a Marine Corps bratt! I live in a Marine Corps town! I hear stories from my friends that are Marines of Americans saying horrible things to them. In other cities of course. I don't want to stereotype any particular kind of people that do it. But that makes me mad. Perhaps they, them and their children, should spend a night in one of the unsafe places of the world. The places that are smack dab in the middle of a war zone. Maybe they should be forced to look at their sleeping child and wonder if they are going to make it to see sweet 16 or their 21st birthday. Maybe then they would appreciate those who keep them safe. Those who allow them to gaze down at their sleeping child and feel safe.

I wish we could live in a peaceful world! I wish wars were a distant memory in every country. I wish the children of today were allowed to live peacefully and that century old hate wasn't passed onto them. But that is unrealistic because we live in the real world. It's not a perfect world! But looking at Cade sleeping so soundly, I hope he can one day look at his children and feel the same as I do right now looking at him!

I would hate to think that some mother at this very moment is staring down at her sleeping little baby boy, just as I am now...Both of us feeling the same...only to have them grow up and fight against each other in some war. Some war that started with people centuries ago...that most have no idea why it started...that one of these precious little babies will grow up to kill the other.

I hope I just made you think...

Here are some pictures I took of Cade today...Pictures taken by a proud American Momma!