First Day of School

We arrived in Sicily a few days after school had already started.  The kiddos had their first day of school on a Friday.  It was nice to have them go for a day and then have the weekend to digest all the changes.  

Lucy started fifth grade this year.  Her teacher this year is Mrs. Perkins.  This first month of school has proven to be a challenge, but she is rising to it.  There is a lot more accountability and the tests are much  harder, but she is catching on quickly and even with the initial shock, she is recovering and doing great!

This funny guy started first grade in Mrs. Zak's class.  He doesn't love his teacher (she's an older woman with kind of a grouchy disposition), but he is doing well.  With a late August birthday, Graham is the oldest in his class.  He is loving all the friends he has so close in our neighborhood and loves riding the bus to school everyday.  

I LOVE these last pictures.  They make me happy. 

Here' s a picture from in front of our new house.  It's townhouse style, which isn't awesome, but we're great.  There are so many kids right on our block and our neighbors are all fantastic!

Here's the fancy shmancy school bus they get to ride to and from school every day.  Seat belts and everything!

Sigonella Elementary School

Isn't it pretty?  The school is actually on NAS I (Naval Air Station I) and the housing is on a separate little base-like set-up.  Jason works at NAS II (Naval Air Station II) which is just a few miles from housing.  NAS I is about 15 minutes away.  The commissary, Benny's preschool, movie theater, and swimming pool are at NAS I, too.  There are many trips over there during the week.  

Dress-up, Haircuts, and Artwork.....OH MY!

We were lucky enough to move in next door to a great family that has boys Graham and Ben's age.  Evan and Benny found the dress-ups!  Ben came outside to show me and immediately had the Mario jump down.  It was hilarious!

This is one of favorite places to get gelato.  It's a little shop in Motta, a small town up on the mountain about 10 minutes away.  We decided to go get some after Graham's soccer game one evening.  

The boys hair was getting pretty shaggy.  I actually like the long look on both of them, but it was pretty hot and humid back in the summer, so I wanted to help them get their cool on.  

The "after" shots

Graham has been really, really into drawing as of late.  It seems he's always pulling out paper, pencils, and markers to create something.  These were some of my favorite from a couple months back.  Love the pumpkin patch.  

I Mean Business......

So, Lucy Jane has a lot on her plate.  She's on the swim team, which requires her to stay after school and practice three times a week.  She also has soccer usually three times a week.  Fifth grade is proving to be very demanding and has taken her a bit by surprise.  Lucy always seems shocked by the amount of homework she has each week and the tests she has to study for.

So, when she came home begging to be able to participate in the 5th grade band program, Jason and I were a bit hesitant.  I think our exact words were, "No....not happening."  When she started to cry and get mad I may have added, "Sorry sweetie.....your plate is full."

She persisted and tried to convince us she could handle it.  So, after reading the information packet and trying to be sympathetic to her need to be doing what "ALL of her friends" are doing, I decided that she could participate.  But.....only after she read and agreed to sign this contract I typed up for her:

Contract Agreement for Participation in Band 2013

I, ______________________________, understand that by committing to participate in the Sigonella Elemantary school band program I am agreeing to the following:

a.   I understand that my success in school is the most important.  If my grades begin to drop I will be required to quit the band program.

b.   If I miss more than 2 assignments at any given time, I will be required to quit the band program.

c.    I will practice the instrument assigned to me as much as the band teacher instructs. 

d.   I understand that Mom and Dad are amazing parents, but are busy parents.  If, after 2 warnings, I continue to whine/complain about having to practice the instrument assigned to me I will be required to quit the band program.

e.    I understand that Mom and Dad are the best parents a child could ask for, but don’t have time to deal with tantrums.  If, after 2 warnings, I continue to whine/complain about having to complete the work that was missed while at band, I will be required to quit the band program. 

f.     If I have to quit the band program for any of the above reasons, I will not be permitted to sign up for band in any of the years at Sigonella Middle School. 

Signed:    _________________________________________________

Caltigirone

Here's some pictures from our first trip to Caltigirone.  I went with just Benny and my great friend, Susanna.  

These stairs are amazing!  Each individual tile is hand painted.  We had to take lots of breaks because my pregnant body had a tough time making it to the top of the stairs.  

I found my favorite stair!  Loved the flowers.  

Benny loved the knights on this stair.  

There are little shops as you go up the stairs.  Each of them sell different ceramics and pottery dishes.  Benny was such a good boy!  He would look and never touch…..just like he was told.  Sweet boy.  

Amazing view!!  Come visit and I'll take you there! ;)

Graham's Big Day

Happy Birthday to Grambo!  He turned seven the last day of August.  He was so irritated that he would   be celebrating it in Italy (Graham got very sentimental about leaving the United States).  My parents came to see us the last weekend we were in San Diego, so we did a little celebrating while they were around.  

We spent Sunday, the 26th of August, at Aunt Bev and Uncle Jim's house in Temecula.  It was only an hour away, so we thought we'd stop in and visit for a while.  Mom and I went to the grocery store to get some stuff for lunch and she insisted we get a little cake so he could blow out the candles with all of us there.  Not exactly sure what Lucy is doing in this picture, but oh well.

Grandma and Grandpa also gave him a new game for his DS that he could play on the long plane ride to Italy.  It served us well on the flights!  He was so happy and was excited to call and tell them thank you (they had already started their drive back to Phoenix when he opened it).

Graham's actual birthday came just four days after we arrived in Sigonella.  Yikes.  He seemed to have pretty high expectations for what he wanted his day to be like, so we were a little concerned, but we put our best celebration faces on and luckily, he wasn't disappointed at all.  

We decorated the living room while he was asleep so he could wake up to a party.  As you can see, he was pleased.  

He was also quite pleased with his presents.  I tried to have him spread out the opening of the gifts throughout the day, but he just kept asking, "Can I open them now?  How about now?  Can I open just one more?  Please?"  So, by noon he had already opened them all.  He is loving legos lately, so he got a couple Monster Fighter Lego sets for his big day.  He also loved playing with this "magic 8 ball" that we saw at the NEX, so we surprised him with that, too.  

Graham decided on brownies again this year.  Made it easy for us because we weren't sure where to get a b-day cake this late in the game (and the kiddos aren't impressed with our homemade ones).  We got some stuff to decorate them with and I let Graham go for it.  He was kind enough to let Lucy and Benny help a little bit (after some coaxing).  

The two long things on the side are "7's" and the swirly thing in the middle is supposed to be a "G".  :)

Jason spent a while in the afternoon helping him put some of his set together.  

That afternoon we went bowling at the base alley.  It was so fun!  There was only one other group there, so it was super chill.  The kids had a blast and we enjoyed our time there.  

Graham was pretty ticked that he lost to Lucy and Benny.  I threw my game a bit so the birthday boy wouldn't be last, but he was still upset.  We're still working on some"sore loser" issues with this guy.  

He wanted a couple pictures of his new Lego guys.  I think this is actually Benny's hand, though.  

We sure love our Graham.  Here's seven things about our little man:

1.  He has suddenly turned into a very patriotic boy.  He cried on the way to the airport in San Diego because he didn't want to leave America.  

2.  Graham is enjoying school, but during the first two weeks was he was always shocked when I woke him up to get ready.  "I have school AGAIN!"

3.  Graham loves to play hard and be active, but isn't a huge fan of organized sports.    I signed him up for soccer and he was not pleased.  He's coming around, though.  I get bring him a little gatorade for every practice.....that helps get him there.  He had a couple great practices last week and then had a lot of fun at his first game last Saturday.  He had to leave one practice early and he was mad.  Jason said, "I thought you didn't like soccer."  Graham replied, "Well, I guess I do now."

4.  Graham is and always has been very emotional.  When he gets upset quickly or cries about something, we try to explain to him that he needs to learn to control his reactions and not get so mad.  He always retorts with, "But I'm really, really sad!"  or "But I'm so mad!"  I attempt to explain to him that sometimes I get mad or sad, but that doesn't mean I get to be unkind and grouchy to everyone around me.  He then says, "Well you're not as mad or as sad as I am, then!"

5.  Graham is fabulous reader and always impresses us with his mad math skills, too.  I love it when he says something like this, "Hey Mom!  I know what 55 + 45 is.....100!"

6.  Our boy had to go to an after school care program for a couple days last week.  Jason and I were at a training that all the new people at the base are required to go to.  Graham loved it!  He was always so upset when we came to pick him up to go home.  One of the days he asked us why we couldn't just go home without him and come back later.  We explained that the rule was to go get your child as soon as class was over.  He argued, "But I really want to stay!"  We told him that we have to follow the rules, to which he said in a very irritated tone, "So you care about the rules more than you care about me?"

7.  I love watching Graham drive away on the school bus each morning.  No.... not because he is driving away from me.  I love it because if we make eye contact before the bus pulls away, he blows me a kiss.....I pretend to catch it and put it on my cheek.  Then I blow one to him and he does the same.  So sweet.  

Happy Birthday, Lucy Goosy!

Our sweet, sweet Lucy turned 10 while we were in San Diego.  It's hard to believe she was born a decade ago!  We tried to make the most of our hotel situation and make it a special day for her.

Lucy's really into "selfless" these days, so I'll share just a sampling of what I find on her iTouch.  Too funny.

Earlier in the summer, Lucy bought three pairs of these glasses in different colors:  purple, pink, and turquoise.  Graham gave her the gloves for her b-day and she bought some "Hot Huez" for her hair.  Quite the hipster this one is.  The hair color comes out every time you shampoo it.  We had a small argument when we were discussing her first day of school in Italy.  She wanted to wear both the glasses and some colors in her hair.  I suggested that maybe she should wait a week or so before doing both at the same time.  How dare I?  

As is our tradition, Jason and I decorated the living area with birthday decor for her to wake up to.  She approved.  

Another selfie.  She saw this jacket in Phoenix at JC Penney's and really wanted it.  She saved her money and a few days after her birthday we went found a JC Penney's in San Diego and luckily it was still there!  

Lucky Lucy got to have to celebrations for her day.  On her actual birthday, we went to SeaWorld!  So fun!  More pictures of that later.  She decided to wait three long days to go out to eat and have cake and ice cream with cousin Jaime, who was coming for a visit.  These two are just the cutest.  They have a sweet relationship that I just love.  It started way back when Lucy was a baby and we spent so much time at Aunt Bev's house with Jaime.  She was so excited to see her and spend time with her friend.  

Jaime brought a present, too!  Sweet headphones in Lucy new favorite color!  

Lucy put a lot of thought into the kind of cake she wanted.  She actually put a lot of thought into how she wanted her whole birthday celebration to go.  We're talking lists, people.  She decided on an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen in her favorite flavor:  chocolate chip cookie dough.  

Jaime brought her boyfriend, Jimmy, along on the visit.  We love him!  So sweet and so fun!  It was so good to meet him finally

We went out to eat at one of Lucy's favorite joints: California Pizza Kitchen.  Jaime and Jimmy couldn't resist one of the photo booths.  

Sea World was a blast, as always!  We are lucky enough to be able to go every year because military can get in free once a season.  Sweet!  

There weren't a whole lot of rides Benny was tall enough to go on, so he and I rode this one quite a few times.  

Graham and Lucy joined us every once in a while, too.  

We had to get our photo op with Ernie and Elmo. 

Graham and Lucy rode the at least six times.  Definitely a family favorite this trip.  We did see a few shows there, too, but the rides won out most of the time.  

I love this picture of Lucy and Graham.  These two fight a lot, but during our time in San Diego, they played so well.  Lucy became more patient with him and Graham didn't seem to make her as crazy.  

Happy 10th Birthday, Lucy Goosy!  

Here's 10 things you may or may not know about our girl:  (thanks for the idea, Lichelley!)

1.  Lucy is a fabulous student.  She is very conscientious about upcoming tests and quizzes and studies for them every time.  

2.  Lucy hopes to get the new baby to love her most.  Benny prefers Graham to her and she doesn't understand it.  She is way nicer to him than Graham is and it ticks her off.  We decided that we would brainwash our baby to think she is the best :) 

3.  Lucy started a blog!  awesomelucyjane.blogspot.com  I haven't made it private yet, so check it out and leave a comment....she'd be thrilled!!  

4.  Lucy still loves all animals, but especially dogs.  We've had many, many, many conversations/tantrums about how badly she wants one and how mean I am for not letting us have one.  

5.  Lucy is on the swim team here at Sigonella!  She tried out the first week we got here and is loving it!  She swims every day after school for an hour.  

6.  She always tries to choose the right....even when it's hard.  Many of the swim meets are on Sunday. She has already had to miss one and was very disappointed, but she did a fabulous job explaining to people when they asked her why she wasn't participating.  

7.  She rarely misses an opportunity to bare her testimony in church.  Our first Sunday here at our new branch, she got up, introduced herself and shared her simple testimony.  

8.  Our girl is a fabulous big sister.  She occasionally loses her temper, but ultimately just wants what's best for them.  In our branch there are only about 10 kids, so they all meet together for all of primary.  She watches out for Benny and tries to make sure he's happy and behaves.  

9.  Some of her favorites:  the color purple, movie night, chocolate (especially hot chocolate), pizza (with no cheese...weird, I know)

10.  Lucy loves having her back rubbed during church or at night when she's having a hard time falling asleep.  

We love our Lucy Jane!

Lessons Learned in San Diego:

1.  Our kids, when forced, can be each other's best playmates.  It was so fun to see them interact and just be friends.  They fought a lot, of course, but they also laughed with each other a lot and just played.  This has carried over to our time here.  I was reminded that even with all of our moves with the military, our best friends are coming right along with us.  

2.  The Lord knows me and my family.  I knew this to some extent before, but was reminded many, many times that he is aware of the Rays and our needs.  Even though at times it seemed that things were moving slowly, in reality, our documents were done in record time.  We were able to come in contact with the right people who had the right connections.  We originally thought we'd be waiting for everything to be done in Phoenix.....in July, but we were able to stay at one of our favorite vacation spots.  I wasn't able to see a doctor for almost 6 weeks, but my pregnancy is going well and there were no complications or scares.  Jason was allowed to stay with us while our applications were being processed.  He originally was going to have to go on to Italy without us.  

3. 

3.  In our family, I am in a position to make our days happy or to make our days hard and sad.  Much of the days mood is dependent on my disposition and attitude.  I sometimes resent this role that I play and wish it was different, but alas, this is one of the realities of being a mom.  I am grateful for the energy I was given on days when I thought I had none and I was able to help my kids see the bright side of our situation. We had some rough moments, but overall, we were pretty happy.   P.S.  That doesn't mean I didn't do my share of complaining.  Yikes.  Poor Jason heard a whole lot of murmuring in the four weeks we spent there.

4.  Faith.  Oh I learned so much about faith during our time there.  Most profoundly, I learned that faith is more than just believing or hoping in something I can't see.  It is allowing my individual will to be "swallowed up in the will of the Father: (Mosiah 15:7).

My fabulous friend, Lichelle, mentioned a talk she had read recently by Elder Bednar.  This talk was life changing for me.  There have been more than a few different times in my life when I struggle with the idea of having faith in Christ, but accepting His will.  Why should I pray and fast about something I want or feel I need when ultimately his will is what will come to pass?  This has been an ongoing conversation that Jason and I have had throughout our marriage.  This talk laid out the answers for me.  Here's a quote from the talk that I love: "As I allowed those two ideas to coexist in my life, focused faith in Jesus Christ and complete submission to His will, I found greater comfort and peace."  Faith was needed to get our passports and visas to process quickly, but faith was also needed to have patience and accept what the Lord wanted for us at this time.

Another quote:  "Righteousness and faith certainly are instrumental in moving mountains--if moving mountains accomplishes God's purposes and is in accordance to His will.  Thus, even with strong faith, many mountains will not be moved.  If all opposition were curtailed, if all maladies were removed, then the primary purpose of the Father's plan would be frustrated.  

My mantra/motto for much of the time we were in San Diego also came from this awesome talk.  Elder Bednar was quoting Elder Maxwell when he said, "Not shrinking is more important than surviving.  Moreover, partaking of a bitter cup without becoming bitter is likewise part of the emulation of Jesus."

So powerful!  When I would become impatient with our situation or grouchy with my kids, I would think to myself, "Maggie, are you becoming bitter?"  I was able to recognize that we were partaking of a "bitter cup"but I had the power to allow it to make me better and not bitter.

It was a tough and terrific month.  I know that there is a reason for why we were delayed.  Maybe these lessons were enough to make it worth the four weeks of frustration.  I know that it's easy to say that now that I'm on the other side of it.  But, maybe that's how it is for most trials.  Hmmmmm.....