Mobilization & Dance Class

Malu left yesterday to start mobilizing for his upcoming deployment.  Basically, he and his unit will be training and preparing to deploy overseas over the next two months. Back in the states, Malu would always mobilize at Fort Dix, New Jersey.  There was usually one four-day weekend closer to their departure date that they'd be released to visit family, go on a short trip, etc.  Here, although he is technically mobilizing in another German state, he's only two and a half hours away at Grafenwoehr.  This means, that when there's down time over the weekend, he may be able to squeeze in a few visits here and there. 

Additionally, next weekend the unit will host what's called a Yellow Ribbon event where all the unit soldiers and their families link up for a meet & greet and to connect with resources before the deployment.  Lodging is paid for, which is a nice bonus, and you get to spend time touring the area at which the event is hosted.  We'll be in Nurnberg!  So while it's not officially good-bye, I still had a hard time after he left yesterday.  I mean, this is pretty much the beginning of the deployment (which, including mobilization, will total 11 months).  And even though he's a few hours away right now, he's still not here :(

 

Somehow I manage.

 

Work and just everyday life just kicks right back in to gear and there's no room for moping.

 

Today was my first official day back at work after leave.  It was busy.  I still have tons of catching up to do.

 

Vaiosina also started her first day of the Parent & Toddler Team Dance class that I signed us up for.  For the next two months, she and I will spend every Wednesday afternoon (it's a 45-minute class) at dance class.

 

Today, she was very timid.  She was content to just watch for the first half hour.

 

 

I didn't feel the least bit bad.  With a class full of tots, it was hard to keep anyone's attention.

 

 

She didn't really warm up and start dancing until about the last ten minutes, but it was still fun.  I'm pretty sure that after about two classes, she'll start groovin' like she usually does when it's just us at home.  As a matter of fact, she was showing me some of the moves she learned while on the potty tonight.  It's going to be a great time for the both of us!

 

I decided that we'd treat ourselves to personalized pizzas for dinner.  Vaiosina loved making them!

 

You see?  Even though we're missing part of our trio, we make do.  We're just fine.

 

Malu had been telling Vaiosina for weeks that he'd be leaving soon and that she was going to have to take good care of me and that she is.  I'm so glad that she's here to keep me company.

 

I love you baby girl.

 

And to Malu...we love and miss you so much!  Hope that we get to see you when you catch a break!



Rockin' Out!

Like all other first-time parents, we try to capture our little girl at every little moment even if it is something so seemingly mundane.  These last few months have just been a joy just experiencing Sina discovering the world around her and surpassing milestones in terms of her development.  So this is probably the umpteenth video clip I've posted on her between this blog and Facebook.  It's mostly to keep her grandparents and great-grandparents as updated on her as possible, but man, these cute moments are too cute not to share with the masses--at least to us. 

Sina LOVES music, mostly because Malu has exposed her to it since she was born.  Now she LOVES to dance to music...especially when, most of the time, mommy and daddy are dancing like crazies in front of her.  She loves to play copy cat!

Last month, Sina only recognized the word "clap" whenever she heard or saw it.  Now she claps every chance she gets and gets even more excited everytime we acknowledge her clapping with a "good girl".  Love it!

And apparently she loves Eminem too because if you turn the volume high enough (after you lower the background music from my blog, of course), you can hear him rapping.  Hey, everyone needs variety, right?

Oh, and most of the comments we get about these video clips have to do with her hair.  Yup...still out of control.  And it's not like we don't fix it....it doesn't matter what we do, she'll pull at it, roll all over the floor playing and mess it up.  It just won't stay neat.  And forget about putting clips and headbands and other accessories in...she pulls those out too.  I'm afraid we have a tomboy on our hands (thanks Malu) and I won't even go into how she hates dresses.

Enjoy...and happy hump day to all of you guys back home!