Last night we had a Farewell to the 3 Shop Party. I invited everyone who I have worked with in my office over the last two years to come to our house for a BBQ( I was shocked that I even had my BN XO show up). We had ribs, burger, hotdogs, cheesy potatoes, chips with a savory Santa Fe Cheesecake(big hit), and cupcakes followed later by S'mores.
Almost everyone brought their kids along so there was more than enough action. As it got darker out the kids headed inside to watch Rio (we rented it at Redbox earlier), while the adults started up a fire in the fire pit and stood around telling work stories. I have never felt so loved as in that moment. In the three weeks that she has been in the unit my replacement has managed to infuriate every person I have worked with. She has a very special skill.
After about an hour in the house we had an impromptu fashion show put on by all the kids. They had discovered the dress up box with all our costumes and clothes in it and it was HILARIOUS. I wish I had taken some pictures. I have never had 10 kids in my house running around before. So I was a little shocked at some of the findings when cleaning up. : ) Empty juice boxes stuffed under couch cushions and plates of half eaten food everywhere. It could have been much worse so don't get me wrong I am not complaining.
One couple has a little boy that is a few months younger than Thor and a girl that is 8. They have already invited us over in a couple of weeks for a BBQ and asked if we could set up a play date with Thor and their son. That in and of itself is pretty exciting.
Jake is making friends too. My Platoon SGT is a big motorcycle guy and he rides with a bunch of combat vets. He invited Jake to come ride with him to try and make some biker friends. They are all older married settled down guys so they are just doing it to have some fun. Nothing scary or dare devilish about their club.
It was nice to have a successful gathering since most of our parties are complete failures. I am great at planning parties for other people but when it comes to my own I really don't do so hot at hostessing. Its a difficult balance between making sure everyone is having a good time and has someone to talk to and getting food out when there is a shortage or keeping the coolers filled with drinks. Jake and I did a really good job of picking up the slack when the other person was busy with something else. I guess after 11 years of being with someone you finally can anticipate the other person's needs. : )
I now feel ready to go into my new unit and learn all they have to teach me. I have been so stressed about it for months now and on Monday it is a reality. I couldn't be more excited- and today and tomorrow I learn how to ride our motorcycle. wooo!
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Where were we....
Its been a while since our last post. In that time my replacement arrived in my unit and has caused no end of stress. She walked in and tried to own the place. Unfortunately she has never worked in an Air and Missile Defense Battalion before so she knew nothing of what she was talking about. In a week she had made almost every senior NCO angry and has verbally abused multiple junior enlisted Soldiers. I have felt really loved because everyone who has experienced her has begged me to try and stay. It has been stressful trying to teach someone to do a very technical job and feel that they have not paid any attention or literally not taken a single note. I was supposed to teach her for a few weeks but after two weeks (10 days of that living in the field with her) I asked my boss for some vacation. I just needed a little break from it all before jumping into a new unit.
I always hate going to the field because I know how hard it is for Jake to never get a break at the end of the day. He is pretty amazing taking care of the kids and the house and everything that I normally do when I am gone. WE have a very unique life and I don't think anyone really gets how difficult it can be to be a stay at home dad with no family support much less any other friends in the area that he can turn to. He is really quite amazing and I could not do what I do if I didn't have every confidence in him to keep things running smoothly in my absence. He's pretty perfect.
Yesterday was a laid back day working in the yard, and taking afternoon naps. Then we went out to Mr Sno and got shaved ice. That is one of the kids's favorite treats in the summer.
Two weeks ago Jake got his long sought after motorcycle. He has wanted one for years and it was just never financially in the cards. So as a 6th Anniversary present he got a 2011 Triumph America. It will function as our second car and I will drive it to work every day so he can have the freedom to take the kids out and about while I am gone. I am taking the driving class this next weekend. Being in the military there are quite a few requirements prior to being able to legally ride a bike. There is a basic riding course that one is required to take, then all the PPE (personal protective equipment) that I have to wear to be in regulation. I can only ride if wearing long sleeves, gloves, eye protection, helmet, boots that cover the ankle, long pants, and a reflective vest. Its quite alot during a hot summer day but the weather is cooling off so it should be pretty doable.
Below is Bean's halloween costume. I stared making it before I went out to the field and we snagged an awesome wig to finish it off when I got home. We still have to make the crown but she is all set for next month. Now its just a matter of having anyone know who she is.
I always hate going to the field because I know how hard it is for Jake to never get a break at the end of the day. He is pretty amazing taking care of the kids and the house and everything that I normally do when I am gone. WE have a very unique life and I don't think anyone really gets how difficult it can be to be a stay at home dad with no family support much less any other friends in the area that he can turn to. He is really quite amazing and I could not do what I do if I didn't have every confidence in him to keep things running smoothly in my absence. He's pretty perfect.
Yesterday was a laid back day working in the yard, and taking afternoon naps. Then we went out to Mr Sno and got shaved ice. That is one of the kids's favorite treats in the summer.
Two weeks ago Jake got his long sought after motorcycle. He has wanted one for years and it was just never financially in the cards. So as a 6th Anniversary present he got a 2011 Triumph America. It will function as our second car and I will drive it to work every day so he can have the freedom to take the kids out and about while I am gone. I am taking the driving class this next weekend. Being in the military there are quite a few requirements prior to being able to legally ride a bike. There is a basic riding course that one is required to take, then all the PPE (personal protective equipment) that I have to wear to be in regulation. I can only ride if wearing long sleeves, gloves, eye protection, helmet, boots that cover the ankle, long pants, and a reflective vest. Its quite alot during a hot summer day but the weather is cooling off so it should be pretty doable.
Below is Bean's halloween costume. I stared making it before I went out to the field and we snagged an awesome wig to finish it off when I got home. We still have to make the crown but she is all set for next month. Now its just a matter of having anyone know who she is.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Baleigh and Porkchop
Baleigh and Porkchop had a rocky start to their relationship but tonight I saw a true glimmer that they are going to be best friends. Baleigh put the dog's kibble in her bowl and since the vet said it would be a good idea to add some extra calcium to her diet we now add cottage cheese as well. Baleigh announced that she was going to get the "whipped cream" out of the fridge for Porky's food. It was too cute. Its fun to see our little girl embrace her responsibilities.
Another Adventure Begins
Earlier this year with a looming deployment we had chosen a school in Chicago for both Thor and Baleigh to go to when they all moved back there. We had worked on all of the basic requirements to start Kindergarten and both kids were ready for half days 5 days a week. Then the news came that I would not be leaving! It was a blessing and yet it really threw a wrench in our plans. Suddenly we were scrambling to find a school in Texas that fit our needs. Such a school does not exist (here).
Neither Thor nor Baleigh are old enough for Kindergarten here in Texas so they only qualify for Pre-school. If we were in Illinois they could have taken the entrance "exam" for Kindergarten and since they can easily complete all the tasks they would not have to attend Pre-school. Having worked in the education field for a while I am pretty familiar with what happens in Pre-schools (especially when they are full day). They do a few projects and have a lot of free play. Since they can do that at home I am not really too keen on the idea of sending them to hang out with 20 other little kids and very little one on one attention. In Kindergarten there is a prescribed curriculum and it is regulated. I basically feel that Pre-schools are glorified day care centers. It is just a name to make people feel better about putting their kids there.
This year we will be doing something that I can say I honestly never though we would choose for our kids. Jake is going to home-school Thor and Baleigh! We have several books on phonics that my mom used with my siblings and I when we were young and we have been working on learning letters and numbers as well as all of our sight words this summer. I can honestly say that I think our kids will be reading by Easter. They are smart little people and I know they are capable. We have discussed the other things we plan on doing to work on social skills and they will be going to Library Story Time, and we are going to join either a martial art class or gymnastics/dance class so they get a chance to take instruction from someone other than mom and dad. I think that by the time we get out of Texas they will be ready for 1st Grade with out a doubt.
School starts Monday here in Central Texas- in the Nielsen house every moment is an opportunity to learn.
Neither Thor nor Baleigh are old enough for Kindergarten here in Texas so they only qualify for Pre-school. If we were in Illinois they could have taken the entrance "exam" for Kindergarten and since they can easily complete all the tasks they would not have to attend Pre-school. Having worked in the education field for a while I am pretty familiar with what happens in Pre-schools (especially when they are full day). They do a few projects and have a lot of free play. Since they can do that at home I am not really too keen on the idea of sending them to hang out with 20 other little kids and very little one on one attention. In Kindergarten there is a prescribed curriculum and it is regulated. I basically feel that Pre-schools are glorified day care centers. It is just a name to make people feel better about putting their kids there.
This year we will be doing something that I can say I honestly never though we would choose for our kids. Jake is going to home-school Thor and Baleigh! We have several books on phonics that my mom used with my siblings and I when we were young and we have been working on learning letters and numbers as well as all of our sight words this summer. I can honestly say that I think our kids will be reading by Easter. They are smart little people and I know they are capable. We have discussed the other things we plan on doing to work on social skills and they will be going to Library Story Time, and we are going to join either a martial art class or gymnastics/dance class so they get a chance to take instruction from someone other than mom and dad. I think that by the time we get out of Texas they will be ready for 1st Grade with out a doubt.
School starts Monday here in Central Texas- in the Nielsen house every moment is an opportunity to learn.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Where is our summer going? Nowhere if you live in Texas!
We have just ended 44 straight days of 100 degrees or more. Don't think we have gotten a nice cold front either - it was 99 yesterday breaking the streak. They said it rained- but I didn't see it.
School starts next week and it doesn't feel like it because it is still so hot out. In theory we should have some fall like weather somewhere around November. Hopefully!
In the mean time we are starting to make Christmas plans/shopping, and in the preliminary stages of planning for the kids' 4th and 5th birthdays. Baleigh has already requested a bounce house and a butterfly cake like I used to have when I was a kid ( we've been looking at lots of old pictures lately). Thor wants to go to the zoo or back to Sea World again.
Thor was going to start pre-school this year back in Chicago but since we are staying here we looked into local schools. Unfortunately we discovered that he would have to go all day 5 days a week and Jake and I felt that it just was not in his best interest to put him in a class room environment for that many hours a day. He just is not ready to sit and pay attention for that length of time yet. Instead Jake is preparing to teach them at home this year. I have to say I never though that that would be an option that I would choose for my kids. I always wanted to go to school and do all the "normal" things that other kids got to do. Now I just want to make sure my kids have a solid education and aren't put into a box by a teacher with 35 other kids to try and educate. Yet another adventure begins.
School starts next week and it doesn't feel like it because it is still so hot out. In theory we should have some fall like weather somewhere around November. Hopefully!
In the mean time we are starting to make Christmas plans/shopping, and in the preliminary stages of planning for the kids' 4th and 5th birthdays. Baleigh has already requested a bounce house and a butterfly cake like I used to have when I was a kid ( we've been looking at lots of old pictures lately). Thor wants to go to the zoo or back to Sea World again.
Thor was going to start pre-school this year back in Chicago but since we are staying here we looked into local schools. Unfortunately we discovered that he would have to go all day 5 days a week and Jake and I felt that it just was not in his best interest to put him in a class room environment for that many hours a day. He just is not ready to sit and pay attention for that length of time yet. Instead Jake is preparing to teach them at home this year. I have to say I never though that that would be an option that I would choose for my kids. I always wanted to go to school and do all the "normal" things that other kids got to do. Now I just want to make sure my kids have a solid education and aren't put into a box by a teacher with 35 other kids to try and educate. Yet another adventure begins.
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Unit #2
Just after we got back from our family vacation I had a sit down with both of my big bosses ( MAJ Nolan and LTC White). I expressed to them that I felt like I had mastered my job as a Battalion Chemo and wanted to work on furthering my career. LTC White (the big boss) agreed with me and said that he would talk to his friend who was a commander of the Chemical Unit up the street from where we work.
I was called into the office about a week later and told that there was a potential inter-post transfer in the works. What this means is that although I will be changing who I work for I will remain here at Fort Hood.
Last week it was officially announced that I would be moving to 48th Chemical Brigade, 2nd Chemical Battalion, 181st Chemical Company. I will be a Platoon Leader in a Decontamination Platoon. This is what I was trained to do when I went through all of my schools so this is really awesome to get a job that will put me working with Soldiers. I will have around 20 Soldiers working under me that will be my responsibility to train and care for. This is a truly amazing opportunity. The extra bonus of leaving my current unit and going to this one is that it will delay my deployment time. The new unit is not due for a deployment for the foreseeable future. I knew when I signed up for the Army that I would deploy but presented with the opportunity to stay home for maybe another year is really amazing.
As of today I am just 56 days away from a new job! That is not alot of time and I have a great deal to do in order for this to be a smooth transition with my replacement.
I was called into the office about a week later and told that there was a potential inter-post transfer in the works. What this means is that although I will be changing who I work for I will remain here at Fort Hood.
Last week it was officially announced that I would be moving to 48th Chemical Brigade, 2nd Chemical Battalion, 181st Chemical Company. I will be a Platoon Leader in a Decontamination Platoon. This is what I was trained to do when I went through all of my schools so this is really awesome to get a job that will put me working with Soldiers. I will have around 20 Soldiers working under me that will be my responsibility to train and care for. This is a truly amazing opportunity. The extra bonus of leaving my current unit and going to this one is that it will delay my deployment time. The new unit is not due for a deployment for the foreseeable future. I knew when I signed up for the Army that I would deploy but presented with the opportunity to stay home for maybe another year is really amazing.
As of today I am just 56 days away from a new job! That is not alot of time and I have a great deal to do in order for this to be a smooth transition with my replacement.
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Wedding Photo's FINALLY!
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| From left to right: Emma (Clayton's Daughter), Ivy (Chad's Daughter) Cole (Chris's oldest Son), Holly, Leah (on lap-Clayton's Daughter), Kylie (Chris's Daughter), Gage (behind- Chris's Son), Baleigh (mine), Thor (mine) |
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| The Whole Zimmeran, Nielsen, and now Rhoe Family |
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| First Family Picture in a While |
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| Not the best lighting but a genuine smile |
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