The Toy Box Years: Random Thoughts

The Creators of the Toy Box Years

The creators of the Toy Box Years are my two beautiful daughters and wonderful, handsome soldier husband.

"Nani" (our oldest) is a 11 year old 6th grader who loves Taylor Swift, ballet, books, fashion designing and sewing. Ask her what she wants to be when she grows up and it changes daily to anything from "an artist" to "a teacher" to "a singer/dancer". Nani is also currently fighting a battle against brain cancer -- recently diagnosed in June 2016.

"Nudgie" (our youngest) is a very smiley, very happy, very giggly, very spirited 8 year old 3rd Grader who's favorite toys are anything that gives mommy an anxiety attack - ladders, stepstools, the climbing wall at the playground. Like her sister, she has a love of reading and coloring, loves gymnastics and still provides mommy lots of snuggle time!

"My Marine" is my high school sweetheart. We've been married over 20 years and met when we were 17. (You do the math....) His favorite toys are Blackhawk helicopters, the lawnmower, our steam cleaner, and microbrew beer bottles. My husband is also my hero in that he proudly serves his country as a Blackhawk crew chief (hence his favorite toy!). And need I say that there is nothing hotter than my man in uniform!

All About Me......

Once upon a time I had a career and worked in the corporate world. Once upon a time, I dreamed about leaving that all behind to follow my true calling -- being a wife and mommy.

The first part of my calling was fulfilled in 1995 when I married my Marine (now soldier) and my love. Little did I know that being a military wife would change me in so many ways and that because of that, I would have an extended family all over the world from Japan, to California, to North Carolina.

The second part of my calling took a little doing, but I finally achieved that dream in 2004 with the birth of our first child, followed 4 years later by her baby sister.

So now, when someone asks me what I do for a living - I simply smile and say proudly that I'm following my calling - I'm a mommy and a wife -- and I couldn't be HAPPIER -- I'm living in the Toy Box Years!!

I have some posts planned, but I just need to find time to sit down and write them. More importantly, I need to clear my mind of some random thoughts so I can just focus. Seriously....sometimes I feel like I have adult ADD.

Oh look! A squirrel!

Ok, ok....focus.....

I seriously have an issue with people who don't use turn signals or worse yet....drive around with them on FOR-EVER. Yes people....I am Carnac the Magnificent and I can truly anticipate when you're going to make that last minute veer across two lanes of traffic to make that right turn into the Burger King drive-through. It's called a turn signal -- use it you moron!

Anyone watching the Bachelor? Does anyone think that Courtney looks a little like Fran from Dodgeball?

I'm in funk. It's just that post-Christmas blah. I really dislike January. It's such a downer month. I wish we would get some snow days. I love, love, love the snow. I love watching it come down. I love snuggling with my family. We've had some snow....but I want more. Which brings me to....

People who complain about the weather. No matter what season, they are never happy. It's snowing and cold and they whine. It's spring and it's raining and they whine. It's summer and it's hot and they whine. For goodness sake, pack yourself up to that temperature-controlled bubble and shut up already.

The joys of having a dog.....dog hair on EVERYTHING I own. And occasionally randomly showing up in my coffee cup or my dinner.

I am finding that the older I get, the less patience I have for the population in general. Now I know why my dad is so crotchety all the time...

And back to the Bachelor. Dear Ben -- can you please pick a hometown and stick with it? First his hometown was Sonoma. Ok...cute quaint...I loved the town. But then next episode, his hometown was San Francisco. My Marine and I just looked at each other like, huh? (And yes, My Marine watches with me too.....what of it.....) And I'm sure those San Franciscan residents appreciated you shutting down the street and snarling traffic for hours so that you and your bunny boilers could bikini ski down the street.

But I suppose, falling here is much better than falling from here!

Cool date - wrong girl. Granted, she did complete the climb.....but you know if they end up together this is going to come up again and again and again......

And yet I keep watching....

Aaahhh....now my brain has a little more room.