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A Minute Out of the Norm: Helping the Birds
I love birds. We have a couple of feeders around our house and a much used bird bath in the front garden. My favorite feeder is viewable from my kitchen window as well as the deck door. I’ll find myself sometimes just staring out the window watching the birds. Other times my boys will give a loud shout-out. “Mom, a Cardinal.” “Mom, a Blue Jay.” ” Mom, oooo come look at this one.” It is just fun to have a simple thing to enjoy with my boys. (After all I can only feign so much ‘interest’ in Pokemon, jokes involving bodily functions and games like Mario Cart). Today in my monthly-newsletter from my local metro-park…
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“On my Spring Vacation I rode the Metro” – How to handle Stress
My family spent part of our Spring Break in Washington DC, as I have mentioned a couple times now. It was a quick trip with only 2 1/2 days of touring. In fact, it was never even a full day as six year-old’s legs (in particular) get tired quickly. But we made the most of it! We visited Arlington Cemetery, The Smithsonian Air & Space as well as Natural History Museum. We found our way into a Smithsonian Outdoor Garden full of sculptures and fountains. (A hit for our boys after a very over-crowded Air & Space museum!) We took in the World War II memorial and the Vietnam Memorial as well…
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Distractions
Distractions are a good thing. Distractions kept me sane during hub’s deployment in Iraq. My boys had swim lessons, soccer camp; we had time with family and friends during deployment. All things that kept my mind from focusing on the one person I was missing the most, my soldier! We were busy, we were distracted, life was only as good as we made it. Distracting ourselves at the local park’s Butterfly HabitatDistractions are keeping me sane during these last few days of pregnancy. I had contractions ALL weekend but they weren’t getting any stronger or any closer. If I sat down all I noticed was the contractions. All I could…
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A Minute out of the Norm: Take A Hike
This past Sunday I could feel the monotony of our weekend settling in. Soccer was Saturday; Church on Sunday; No school, no major running around to be done. I was quite content to sit in the family room and read. My boys though were at each other like cats and dogs. It was getting cool out so it was not quite as comfortable to sit outside and play. We had… aghast… a possible case of the Autumn Doldrums. With Hubby deployed it is not as easy to pack the kids up and get moving, but it is so very necessary. So we packed a couple water bottles. Put on our…
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New PCS Mileage Rate (Again)
I wrote a blog back in March about the reduction in PCS mileage rates which went down from 20 cents a mile to 19 while gas prices were climbing rapidly towards $4 a gallon! Well, we are over $4 a gallon now and someone at the IRS finally saw the light and is changing the rate for moving and medical appointments. In a story I read recently the IRS commissioner stated that Moving and Medical appointment rates were changing to 27 cents a mile and business travel would be 58.5 cents a mile. The changes will be implemented as early as July 1st. I am sure it will take a…
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New PCS Mileage Rate
Sometimes things can just be downright confusing when we try to find our way across the country to that next PCS dream spot! Just like this little guy trying to decide which fork to take in the trail! Just as confusing are some of the government decisions on how much to pay us for PCS travel. With the current gas prices going towards $4 a gallon, the PCS mileage rate for your POV (privately owned vehicle) has gone down from $.20 a mile to $.19 a mile effective 1 January 2008. This is according to the latest information from the DoD Per Diem, Travel and Transportation Allowance Committee in a…
