Major Miller!

Okay here are the photos...as always out of order that I had wanted them to load, but one of these days I will get this darn system right.

The kids both were so good and cute!!! Zach and Erin both made Brandon's day with special moments they added to the ceremony. During his old commander's comments/speech portion, Erin chose to sit on the stage on Daddy's lap. It was so sweet and I know even though it wasn't the appropriate thing, it was the right thing.

After pinning the "golden leaves" Zachary said to his dad, in front of a room full of people..."Daddy you are Major Miller now...GOOD JOB!". It was adorable, perfect and so very Zachary. Brandon was smiling so big.

He surprised me as always with sweet words and flowers. I was honored to hear the way Cl. Todaro spoke about him and praised his accomplishments. I live with him, I don't work with him and it is always a honor to hear those that do talk about what an amazing officer he is. I am super proud of him.

Brandon and his former commander from Edwards...the man that once had the job he has now!

Brandon giving me flowers....
Family photo...
Handsome boy
Sweet girl that took my flowers...
Us pinning on Brandon's new rank...


So proud of him...
Erin being Erin...
Sitting in Daddy's lap...




It was a great day and I am glad that the kids and I were able to be a part of it...

crock pot recipes...

Okay for those of you that asked here it is...

This one was very yummy!

Chicken Cacciatore -

makes 8 servings - ideal slow cooker size 7 qt. (I only have 5.5 so should have cut recipe 1/2)

2 whole (4lb) chickens cut into serving pieces

1 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

olive oil

2 4oz cans of sliced mushrooms ( i did fresh)

3 medium onions sliced

2celery ribs chopped (I didn't use, I don't like celery)

4 lg green bell peppers cut into one inch strips

28 oz can tomatoes

28 oz can tomato puree

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried parsley

1/2 salt

14 pepper

1. Shake chicken pieces 1 at a time in a zip lock bag with salt pepper and flour. When coated, place in skillet with oil and brown the pieces. Then place the chicken in the bottom of the crock pot. Reserve drippings.

2. Saute mushrooms, bell peppers, onions celery in the pan from chicken...cover over chicken when done.

3. Mix remaining ingredients together in bowl and pour over chicken and veggies

4. Cover and cook on low for 7 to 8 hours.

5. Serve over hot Penne

Turned out really well!

Tried this one too, it was good too!

Chilies, cheese and rice caserole -

makes 6-8 servings - ideal in 4 qt cooker

14.5 oz can of whole tomatoes mashed

15 oz can of seasoned pinto beans

1 1/2 cups uncooked long grain rice

1 cup montery jack cheese shredded

1 large onion finely chopped

1 cup cottage cheese

4.25 oz can chopped green chillies

1 tsp veg oil

3 cloves garlic minced

1 tsp salt

1 Combine all ingredients into well gresed slow cooker...cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours.

So those are my two new recipes I have tried...interested in getting any from any of you. Trying to cook more meals that I can do early and have for dinner...our nights are busy with activities right now and trying to get a real meal cooked has been a challenge. So please share!

First TDY...

I had gotten so used to Brandon being gone in CA, it was like second nature. He was gone a lot there...I think I knew it when we were living there, but really didn't realize how much until we got here and he has been home so much. It is nice I have to say to have the reliability and help. Especially with Zachary and his therapies and schedule, it is nice to have help for those times I need it. Today he left for CA for the SETP conference....it is an annual conference for the test community. Held at Disneyland of all places. It sounds great right...well considering they are in meetings all day, it isn't, because you are left to try to go into the parks with kids and no spouse. I went one year with Zach and didn't have fun...it was just too much to tackle solo for me. So with school in full swing and us having busy days with therapy, sports, school, etc....I chose to stay here and I am pretty okay with that. :)

Brandon will be back Saturday night, so really a short trip in the grand scheme of things. We opted to not go to swimming tonight. Zach had a double ear infection and even though I know he could have gone, I chose to not risk it...he has still had a nasty cough too. And he has a new coach and seemed very hesitant about it. I am swimming with Erin while he is in his class, so I can't help him if he were to get upset. I felt like having Brandon there next week would be a good idea to get him excited about it and help him through his fears. Soccer should have been after swim, but it has been raining for two days here and I opted again to not go....the coach never called or emailed, but I wasn't about to take him out to a wet field, with Erin and it was 60 degrees and rain...not so much!

So we stayed in, played, made cookies and had an early tubbie, read books and off to bed...all good things for me!

I have some errands to run tomorrow while the kids are both in school...3 hours of me time isn't nearly enough some days. I hope to get my things done and then get home to get Erin down for a nap before we get him from school...her nap is a short one now...He asked to get his hair cut at cool cuts for kids instead of the BX, so I will try to do that tomorrow afternoon....his speech therapy which is usually on Thursdays at 3 (20 minutes north of here) was cancelled....so a nice break for me! I know it is awful, but it means I have to get him out of school before 2:30 and Erin basically gets little to no nap on those days.

So I am working on my ebay pile tonight, reading a new book and my DVRed shows. Nice rainy night to sit in and relax. :) I have a ton of scrapbooking to do and I am excited to set up a table in the guest room and start knocking out some pages soon....finally got all my photos in the mail and I am ready to go!!!

So, I am off to enjoy my night...well once Erin goes to bed...and have some me time! See TDYs aren't all bad if you look at the little things...

Sick days...

Poor Zachary...he has had a long couple of days...

Started a fever last Thursday and has been home since....he had a rough day on Wednesday which is typically a good sign for me that something is not right. He woke up Thursday with a fever, went away with Tylenol and then by that night was up high and he wasn't feeling his best. Then moved into a cough and a continued fever spike daily. Seemed good Saturday, but then had a 103.6 fever that night, so today we had him at the clinic to see what the heck was going on...turns out the poor guy has a double ear infection. Yuck. So he is now on antibiotics and hopefully on the mend. Missed 3 days of school and some testing days we had set up for him too with the school psychologist. Ironically he was sick in CA when they did the IQ testing there. His fever has been lower all day, so I am hopeful school will be an option tomorrow. I am thinking that he will have a low key week this week with no swim on Wednesday with his ears having been infected and just do soccer that night if he is up to it. I am not sure how I will swing him at swim and Erin since Brandon will be TDY to CA from Wednesday to Saturday. Lets keep our fingers crossed Erin stays healthy....knocking on wood!

Tickles, hugs, smiles, friendship...

I have to say I have loved watching these two become friends. When we first had Erin we were going through so much with Zachary...testing, evaluations, getting his diagnosis, etc. He was starting school and therapies and in the mix we were giving this amazing, sweet and good little baby girl. Erin was simply one of the easiest babies...I think she knew that she would have plenty of time to sew her oats, but we were overwhelmed and she just went with the flow and couldn't have been sweeter. From day one Zachary was a good big brother...he tried so hard to help with her. And in turn, Erin helped him so much. I am not sure if either of them will ever know just how much they changed each other. Zachary had to step up and start to do more for himself as a result of her being in the house and also had to learn to talk more to get his needs met. He became so excited when she started to walk and now that she can talk it is cute to hear them converse. He will try to ask her things and she will answer and vice versa. She sits in the carpool line daily and watches for him out the window, always spotting him before me and exclaiming, "ZJ, oh mommy I see Zachary!". She adores him...he is her world. She always wants to do and be with him when she can and is devastated if he doesn't want her in his room or bothering him. I find them a lot on the ground giggling and tickling each other. Zachary likes to read to her. They give hugs a lot. I just love watching them become friends. I love that they have a bond and connection and I pray it stays strong for a long time. Zachary struggles with making friends and isn't always the best playmate...Luckily Erin doesn't know any better and really I don't think would care. She loves him as I and Brandon do, for the amazing boy he is and he loves her just the same.

Rainbow...

Finally we have gotten some rain around here...>The clouds rolled in Wednesday and started to dump rain on us Thursday through the weekend. It was great! The kids really enjoyed it and I have to say, I did too. The cooler temps were great too! I don't love the muddy backyard, aka Sally's muddy paws, but it is a small price to pay, no complaints!

We had a good weekend and got some things done here in the house, mainly some changes and fixes around the house and just fun with the kids. I am into Ebay mode again...watch out or you might get listed!! Ha ha!

I am excited to start working on my scrapbooks, I am super behind on them, a year on each child...not at all normal for me, but really I am just going to dive in and work on them soon and hope to get caught up by the holidays. Ordered photos and now just need to get to it.

New favorite show, Police women of Broward County. Seriously Love it! What bad asses?! Can I say that? Well I think they are pretty impressive ladies.

Going to Zach's school on Tuesday for a Volunteer orientation and breakfast thing...Excited to get to meet other moms, get involved in the school and have some time to do things out of the house too. I was considering doing the OSC (officer spouse club) here and still might...but right now I need something that doesn't have a ton of time and commitment...Erin is only at her KDO a few hours a week and thus far we have no sitter...so I don't want to over commit and then be lame saying no all the time.

Excited for plans this week with other people...

Dinner at my new friend Kristine's house on Tuesday night...she is the one who I met through that crazy meet up group that was a flop, but she was super nice.

Dinner on Saturday with the Prichards, are friends from Abilene who were also our neighbors. Great family and we both really like them a lot...they have 4 kids, 10, 7, 4 and 3...so it will be fun! They have offered to watch our kids on Friday night so we can go to a dinning out on base, but I am not 100% sure I am ready for that with Erin being so scared with strangers...Brandon was supposed to set up a sitter, but it didn't happen and now I am not sure. So I am on the fence with that one...

All in all a fun week ahead...a few photos from tonight and the rainbow we got out back...

Erin in stitches...Sally was making her laugh!

Zachary being super silly...isn't that all 5 for you? He was dancing and singing...this child can't take a bad photo!
Zach and Sally...best pals still. No photo with Erin...Sally won't pose with her...they aren't as close.
But I got her to give a smile for the camera with me...cheese!
Rainbow!

Backyard Camp out!

Well last night my two guys decided to do a camp out. Brandon has been dying to do this since Zach has been putty trained! OUr first house at Edwards had the perfect yard for it, but the next one didn't and Brandon was gone for half of the time we lived in that one. The weather has been a lot cooler since Thursday when the rain started coming through and last night it was overcast, but no showers...so the boys thought it was a good night to try. We thought the backyard was a great way to break Zach into the idea of camping...I went camping with Brandon when we lived in Idaho and much to my amazement, I didn't hate it. I didn't love the group we went with and know that if we were alone or with great friends it would have been so much more fun. So I am willing to give it another try. We have had a tent forever, so they got sleeping backs and all the good stuff to eat. They had a blast. Erin went and checked out the tent, but didn't seem to care when they didn't come in with her. Zach did great...I was expecting him to change his mind, but he had a blast and i think they both enjoyed their special night. How cool...camping in the backyard with your dad? So glad they can do these things together and how happy I am to watch it all...I did spy a bit through the window to check on them. :)

Here are a few photos I got!

Cooking dinner!

Putting up the tent!
More cooking...
Smores time!!!!
Making some for mommy and Erin.. :)
Almost bedtime...
What a fun memory for them to share...

September 10...

Today was a good day here...Erin went to KDO and cried when I left her but seemed to adjust well and was happy when I got back. I had lunch with Zachary at his school...we went through the lunch line and ate together. I am always amazed that he is mine and how special he is. I look forward to having lunch with him at least one day a week while Erin is in school. It is a great chance to see him in his element and connect with him. We had a ton of rain here today, which this area desperately needed. The kids loved it! I skipped Zach's speech because of flash flood warnings where he has it...I am glad I did. We had a nice dinner and then a family walk around the neighborhood since the rain had stopped. It was nice!

We got home and did the usual bed time routine...I walked Zach up to bed and then started to lay out Zach's clothes for the next day. They are supposed to wear red shirts tomorrow in honor of September 11th. He asked me, "why do I need to wear red on that date?" Ugh...I hate those questions. Like the night we looked at photos of my mom's mom we had taken in SF a few years ago...he asked where her dad was and I told him he passed away in 1995 and was no longer with us....He asked where he was and I told him in heaven...then he asked where is Heaven on my map mommy...eventually he determined it was in Connecticut, New Haven to be exact. I felt no need to argue that one.

I tried to explain tonight to him that on this date 8 years ago bad people called terrorists flew planes into buildings in NY City and hurt a lot of people. It was a bad day for our country...how it caused us to go to other countries and try to keep people safe...tying daddy being gone last year and other friends parents being gone....trying to make it honest and real without being too scary. He is only 5 after all. I don't want him scared of planes or NY. I don't want him to live in fear. But I also want him to know as much of the truth as I can share with him. I wish I had been better prepared for that, but how can most of us explain to our children something we don't even understand. We all know where we were, how we found out. We remember how we felt and the events that followed. But none of us really even now can really grasp so much of it...that on September 10th we all felt so much safer...how much changed from that day on and how much will never be the same.

I can only hope and pray that I don't have to explain to him events like again and that he won't have a day like that in his memory one day...don't we all want a safer world? If only it were that simple. But we can take the time to remember the people that died that day and the heroes that worked so selflessly to save lives while risking their own...we can remember how we all felt united as a country and unified under one cause. So sad that it takes such a massive tragedy for our nation to become united like that and in 8 years how much we have forgotten.

God Bless the thousands of victims of 9/11, the rescue workers, families and friends of the victims and all Americans who now live with the outcome of that day...

Erin's first day at KDO

Yesterday was Erin's first Day of Kids Day out at a local church. We had planned to place her at a different church, but back in April when we came out here it was already full. So I found another place closer to home with small class sizes and room for my little lady. It is a nice place and everyone seems super friendly...the facility isn't grand and it isn't my first choice, but I think Erin will do well there. We had meet the teacher last week and her teacher is a nice lady who is in her late 40's or early 50's I think...very sweet and Erin seemed to like her...She talked about Miss Sherry all day.

Brandon took the day off to give me morale support. We took her to her school and she seemed super excited. We got there, signed her in and she was off and playing...we ducked out quickly. She of course noticed and called after me and that broke my heart, but I kept on going....luckily when we got there to pick her up she was in high spirits, full of smiles and happy as could be....yeah!!! So we will see how tomorrow goes!

She wasn't in the photo mood and we were running late, so not great photos, but you get the idea...She picked out her own outfit too of course. :)

Rain watching...

We got some much needed rain yesterday and the kids both loved it! It was so much fun to sit out front and watch the rain...it was a nice change in the temperature too and the kids loved it. I caught a few cute photos of them playing out front...Erin is worthless at posing for the camera...she says cheese and closes her eyes and puts her head down.

That face!

My babies!
Oh I love them...
He is such a ham for the camera...I don't think he takes bad pictures.
Big smiles!

Miss Priss...
Oh you caught me playing with the flowers...let me be cute and you won't notice I tore off the flowers...
When in doubt we pull out the big guns....the laugh and smile!
Now he is in on it...
Looking at the rain and clouds...awesome!

Update on ARD...

I wanted to post a quick update on Zach's ARD (IEP - individualized education plan). Texas has to name it something else. Anyhow it was last week on Tuesday and went very well. Brandon was able to attend with me, which was very nice. The ARD team was great and everyone was present...also great. It included the principle, special ed inclusion teacher, his Kindergarten teacher, the speech therapist, the ARD facilitator and the school psychologist. Right away I was happy to have brought cookies and a photo of Zach...two ideas I got from people in the teaching world. Also made a portfolio with his information, his testing and current exams. I think that helped me look and feel prepared.

The team right away commented on how great they thought he was (those that had met him and spent time with him of course) and how smart he is. Which led right into the initial issue that I was dying to deal with and was brought up for me. They felt that he needed retesting. An issue that we have been wanting for a while. When he was initially tested in CA at age 3 he was given the diagnosis by the school district and UCLA simply concurred with it. We were told at that time to have him retested in 2-3 years for sure because some of his issues were very borderline and he might test off the spectrum one day or his diagnosis might change with time and therapy. So we have been waiting to get to a place to do this. We already have an appointment with BAMC (Brooks Army Medical Center) on the 17th of this month. The psychologist right away said that he felt after looking at Zach's test scores he needed retesting. One reason is his IQ was very low...VERY! His abilities don't reflect that at all. He can read over a 2nd grade level with ease...understands concepts of weather, road systems, etc...non of the test made sense when looking at what he can do. So that was a big issue for us and thankfully they want to see some new results. We are hopeful that this will bring better understanding of what is "wrong" and how to "fix" it.

I think that some of the therapies and approaches to dealing with him will change. We have him in private speech here and getting private OT evals completed this week as well...We are hopeful that those will help. ABA is harder bc they have no after school hours for him and we are not wanting to be pulling him out of school several hours a day to work on things at home with him when we feel he can learn so much from other kids at school. We also have him continuing in his swim classes and started in the local soccer league. All to help him interact with others and to be able to learn through the peer models.

One big concern is also ADD/ADHD. We have noticed a lot of fidgeting and difficulty holding his attention. Will work on that testing next....schools don't do that, so we will need to again do a private test for that. The OT is looking specifically at some sensory issues we are concerned with and that I believe make it hard for him to learn.

We are thankful to have a great team of educators working with us and him to help ensure that he gets what he needs....they want to continue to keep him in the gen ed classroom and get speech support...at this point no modifications needed and a small reward system was discussed. The October ARD will be the big deal with goals, modifications and changes put in place along with the new testing results revealed. We are anxious and hopeful that the testing will give us all a new perspective and information to work with and give Zach a lot of options in this school. I just wanted to throw out the update to those of you interested...

Parent's Visit

My mom and dad were in town for a few days this past week....so great to have them here. I love having them around. The kids were over the moon to have them here and there is no greater thing than watching them interact. It was awesome. It was nice to show them my house, where we live, etc. The kids schools...although next time I hope to have more time to take them in and show them around some. They got to see Zach swim...it was so hot here that my dad only stayed for about 30 minutes and headed back. But it was great they got to see his progress and he was so proud to show off his skills. We didn't do as much as I had hoped, but it was super hot here and we really were limited with Erin's age and my dad and mom not feeling 100%. Hopefully they will be able to come back when the weather is nicer and we can hit some sights around the area. The few days they were were awesome and I am always grateful to have the time with them. They gave us support before Zach's big meeting and my mom as always helped me with some fun decorating ideas in the house to switch some things around I wasn't happy with, especially in Erin's room. A new perspective is always wonderful. Here are a few photos...didn't take many and I hate that! My mom took some on her camera of the kids too, but I forgot to download them before they left...oh well...

Erin full of smiles.

Playing with Nowie (was supposed to be Noni, but it is Nowie now)

Grandpa and his littlest friend...
My mom and Zachary...he was so upset they were leaving and cried....she was able to as always cheer him up.
My parents and Zach....
Zach and I at the pool...
Erin and her daddy at the pool...
Erin with my dad....she could have sat in his lap all day and had him read to her....
Another day, another book....
Playing with Nowie in the hall...
Giving grandpa hugs and kisses...
As always the trips are too short and we are so sad to see them go, but thankful for the time they shared with us and so thankful we have the chance to make new memories with them. I already am wishing they could come back!!!

Mom and Dad - We love you both and thank you for making time to visit us on your trip....