Military Friday 7-15-11

Here they are with their very cool HP
scarves that the 'cool mom' ordered
them for Christmas from Hooking Geek

I know I am a little late to the party today, but I have been trying to be the fun parent during deployment (usually the Soldier's job) and took the 10 & 11 year old monsters to the midnight showing of Harry Potter. There is going to be much wailing and gnashing of teeth when the 13 year old & 15 year old get home from camp and 4H Congress and find out we went without them.

They are still in shock this morning and can't wait to tell dad that mom is most likely ill or losing her mind - or maybe has been replaced by a way nicer clone. I am so tired that I am going to need a six pack of diet coke to make through the afternoon.

As much fun as I have been having, I can't wait for the Soldier to come home and take his job back over. Being the fun parent is exhausting! 

If you are a regular looking for the latest free ebooks, they are here and here. (Don't forget to double check the prices, they change frequently).

I love celebrating Fridays with my fellow MilSpouses. I am thankful to be part of a community that supports each other, even in the bloggy world. If you are a MilSpouse, we would love to have you join us. Link up with the MilSpouse Friday Fill-in at Wife of a Sailor and the MilSpouse Weekly Roundup today at The Science of Missing You.

Today's MilSpouse Friday Fill-in: 

1) If you could have a private concert with any singer, who would it be?  submitted by An Air Force Wife’s Blog 

My favorite singer is Anthony Kearns. Yes, most of my friends think I am crazy (the Soldier does too) and the kids complain that it is all we ever listen too (it isn't, but close), but he has an amazing voice and can sing just about anything - from Opera to Broadway to Irish folk songs. (Go ahead, click and listen. I will wait.) I would love to see a solo show of his again and since it is a private show, do I get to pick the songs too? The Soldier did get me tickets to see his latest opera for my birthday and I am very excited!

2) Is there anything you do to supplement your family’s income? submitted by Our Life, One Adventure at a Time 

I write. I have been paid a few times for articles like this one: How to Help a Mom During Deployment. I also do the occasional product testing and I clip a mean coupon. When I am actually grocery shopping (see #5), we save at least $100 a month with coupons. 

3) During your pregnancy (whether past, present, or future), what did you nickname your unborn baby before you knew the sex? submitted by Explosions of Love

Out of six, we only found out the sex of two of them during pregnancy. One was when they told us it was a boy (we didn’t believe them and still didn’t have a name until after he was born) and then with the last one (surprise!) and she was a week old before we had a name for her. We called her Bob for a while… No nicknames during pregnancy though. It was just the ‘baby’ or the alien taking over my body.

4) Have you ever won a blog giveaway?  If so what did you win? submitted by Mrs. O’s Life 

I have won a few. One was a DVD for the kids and one was a book on talking to your kids about sex. Yeah, we need that with all the teenagers we have. I also won an Amazon gift certificate from a really cool blog that I have been trying to find again. I lost all my favorites when my computer crashed.

5) If I looked into your refrigerator right now, what would I find? submitted by Married to the Army

Not a lot. It is time to go to the commissary again, only my Suburban died on the bridge last week and they want $800 to fix the fuel pump. (May was the water heater, June was my laptop and July is the car. I pray I get a break in August!) I wonder how much it would cost me to send the 18yo to do the shopping? Today, there are a couple of eggs, half a bottle of apple juice, a few red bell peppers, ketchup and some ribs defrosting. Dinner is going to be interesting to say the least. Maybe since it is payday, I will spring for a $5 pizza at Little Caesars - fun mom and all...

And don't forget to link up with The Science of Missing You for today's MilSpouse Weekly Roundup! 

Have a great weekend.

Love,