So if you like hot and humid Fort Bragg (Fayetteville), NC is the place for you. It’s been scorching here and any activity outside requires the following things: sunscreens, a cooler full of water, shade, and PLEASE make sure you put on deodorant - antiperspirants will NOT help you!

So it’s again been some time since I’ve updated this blog.  So here it goes… 

DERRICK

Has officially become a 7th grader.  He had an awesome 6th grade year and Geno & I can only hope that 7th grade is challenging enough for him and he puts everything into it.  He was accepted into AVID which stands for Advancement Via Individual Determination.  At first we were a little skeptical about the program but after reviewing his scores with the teacher decided Derrick needed to be challenged more in school.  We are hoping that this will encourage him.  Derrick is currently in Ohio staying with my mom.  He’s had a chance to be in Columbus to visit his dad, my dad and also my other dad (Jeff).  I have talked to him a few times and he is having a great time with Torrey - his long-time best friend.  We plan on picking him up at the end of July, depending on what the schedule is like here.

XAVIER

He is doing AWESOME!  He’s been wearing big boy underoos to daycare the past week with NO accidents there.  Granted, when he comes home he has a couple accidents and this weekend he was more interested in playing then using the restroom every single time - but this is a HUGE step forward compared to a month ago - he is well on his way to the preschool room.  He definitely has my sense of humor and Geno’s short temper.  Here are a few examples (of the darndest things he says) just from today:

• This morning at McDonalds we were sitting at a table. It was about 830a and we had just finished clearing out our storage shed.  We were enjoying our breakfast when all of the sudden Xavier starts sniffing the air.  All of the sudden in an OUTSIDE voice he says “Daddy, are you stinky?” when Geno answers “Shhh, no Xavier.” He turns to me and again in an OUTSIDE voice says “Mommy, are YOU stinky?”  I, of course, say “Shhh Xavier, no!” Then he says “SOMEONE’S STINKY!” Well this wouldn’t have been so bad if we weren’t surrounded by quite a few elderly groups on their way to church…. 
• Today was Geno’s day for church. So we headed over to one of the catholic churches here. About 10 minutes into the service Xavier decides he wants a drink of water. I take him out into the foyer and let him get a drink.  He then tells me he needs to go to the potty.  So I take him in and he proceeds to go #1 & #2.  Afterwards (after washing our hands) we headed back to see daddy.  The church was quiet except for a lady doing the Readings before the Gospel. Xavier runs up to his dad and proclaims (in an OUTSIDE voice) “I went STINKY daddy!” The thing about Xavier is if you don’t repeat what he says to let him know you heard him he will KEEP saying it until you do so. Finally, after about 3 times Geno acknowledges what Xavier has said and Xavier is satisfied that he’s been heard.
• Finally, this evening I made a pot roast.  Xavier usually will take a bite of something new and if he doesn’t like it he will say so. Our theory is, as long as he tries it at least once if he doesn’t like it then we will make something else for him to eat.  Well, he wouldn’t even try it this evening.  Our next move is to tell him one of us will eat it and USUALLY this will make him at least try it. I don’t know if it’s the thought of sharing it or if he just is trying to get us to make something else for him but this usually will get him to eat it.  However, this time his response to our declaration was “Ok, you eat it ALL”…so much for that tactic.

Geno & Sarah

Well what can I say…we are doing great!  Geno has finished WLC and graduated on June 19th.  He’s been acting Platoon SGT and will be doing so through this week.  The actual Platoon SGT is getting ready to leave the unit and the second in line is at B-NOC (a course similar to WLC but when you go from E-5 to E-6) until the end of this week.  He has to be NCOIC (Non-Commissioned Officer In-Charge, aka the BIG dog) for the medical care for the 4th of July celebration on post.  This year Wynonna Judd will be performing. Luckily, Xavier and I will still be able to hang out with him for the day and have PRIMO seats for the concert and fireworks display. 

Well, one small hope has been dashed for Geno’s military career - at least for the time being.  Finally after waiting for over 2 months for a response about going to SOAR (Special Operations Aviation Regiment - for flight medic) he received an email stating that they were not accepting E-5 applications. Turns out they just did a HUGE recruitment with $50,000 sign on bonus!  Needless to say we are bummed, but it just opens up different paths for Geno to take.

I am finishing up my first summer semester at FTCC. I am happy to report that I am GUARENTEED a “B” in Anatomy & Physiology and I’m about 95% sure that I will be getting “A’s” in both Computer and Sociology. I have already registered for the final 5 classes I need to meet the Competitive Entry Curriculum, for Dental Hygiene. I will be taking another full load of courses, however, this time it will be a 16week course time-line rather than the fast paced 8week that Summer Semester is.  I will be taking Microbiology, Biochemistry, General Psychology, English Composition and Speech. I am meeting with my Dental Hygiene Counselor tomorrow afternoon to make sure I am on the right track to submit my application by January 31, 2009.

Running has sort of taken a back burner - much to my dismay - with school taking up a lot of time, especially with the fast pace of Summer Semester.  I have completed only one race this season and plan on doing a couple more before summers end.

Finally, I am happy to announce that we have sold the car - to a co-worker of Geno’s - and now have a 2008 Jeep Wrangler X.  I don’t know the funniest part of the adventure - arguing about NOT wanting green to the point we almost walked out if they asked us one more time, breaking them down to within reach of our budget requirement, telling the salespeople to give the black jeep to the couple that WANTED to pay the ridiculous price we wouldn’t OR FINALLY learning to drive a manual transmission - THANK YOU KARINA for teaching Geno years ago, he was a great teacher!  Xavier has enjoyed it, especially with the tops off. Geno and I will be taking it out 4-wheeling here soon once he gets a day off that Xavier is at daycare.

NOTE: HOT, SCORCHING, HUMID DAYS ARE NOT DAYS YOU CHOOSE TO DRIVE IN AN OPEN TOP JEEP UNLESS YOU DON’T MIND SWEATY CLOTHES AND SEARING HOT SEATS!

LILLY

Finally, little or not so little Lilly, she’s doing great. We had her spade last week and for those few short hours it was quiet in the house.  She came through like a champ and was back to her normal self by the next morning.  She is now 38lbs - with about 15-25 to go, based on the vets estimate.

Well here are a few pictures over the last month or so…more by clicking on the Flickr picture quad.

OUR BIG GIRL

OUR LITTLE MAN

THE JEEP

2 OUT OF 3 OF MY MEN

XAVIER WEARING GENO’S LCE

TALKING TO GRANDMA INC

ENJOYING HOMEMADE PICKLES

LEARNING TO GOLF ON THE WII

down the drain…that’s where.  I have no clue where it goes after that, all I know is I can’t find it…

So here’s the update…

Derrick

Soccer is finally over. The last game was the best of all. Derrick’s team, Orange Crush, played against the top ranked team, the Hurricanes, and though they lost the way they lost was one for the books. They lost in a sudden death kickoff. Ok, so I don’t know if that is what it’s called in soccer but each team shot 3 times at the goal.  The  Hurricane’s goalie was really good and though our kickers, Derrick, “K” & Brayden, are good they kicked it pretty much to her.  Derrick’s was over her head but she was able to jump and push it over the goal. They had a great time this season and we look forward to next season.

The last day of school for Derrick is this coming Wednesday. On Monday he has an awards ceremony. He is getting one of two achievement awards, the President’s Academic Excellence Award or the President’s Educational  Achievement Award.  He has done very well this year and we couldn’t be more proud of him.

He’s leaving for Ohio on June 19th to stay with my mom in Cleveland. He will also be seeing some family in Columbus.  We plan on picking him up at the end of July for the annual Lolli Family Reunion.

Xavier

Xavier is growing so fast.  He developed a fascination with Power Rangers, however, due to his increased infacuation with fighting we had to start limiting the amount of Power Rangers he watches.  Since doing that we have noticed a lessened amount of wrestling/fighting.  His new tag line is “Cool, baby, cool”. We were at Walmart getting a new crate for Lilly (she’s getting big) and he couldn’t fit in the cart so he had to ride at the end of the cart. Every time we turned he laughed and laughed out “Cool, baby, cool!”. He is a riot and alot of the things he says to us we have no clue where he comes up with it. A couple examples are “I’m just kidding” and my personal favorite “Pretty, please.” Compete with praying hands, a sideways glance and a too cute sly smile.

Potty training comes and goes. Yesterday he went about 36 hours with the same pull-up but then today he hasn’t wanted to try.  We’ve decided not to push it too much and he will eventually get the hang of it.

We took him to get his hair cut and they cut a tad, ok more than a tad to much. So we’re letting his hair grow out now and promised NEVER to take him to the post barber

Geno

Currently he’s at WLC (Warrior Leadership Course) for two weeks. It’s a closed course so he can’t come home, we can’t visit him and he can only call for a few minutes between classes & at night before he heads to bed.  He sounds good and he says he’s learning so I guess that’s a good thing.  We miss him though and can’t wait for him to come home. 

He has sent his application for SOAR (Special Operations Air Regiment) and it has been received. Now we are in a waiting pattern to see what comes about it. If he hasn’t heard anything by July 1st then we are going to look at other options to get off this base and out of North Carolina.  However, we are hoping he gets into SOAR. Geno would be good at it and it would be GREAT for his career. It would mean more deployments, but shorter length. It would also mean hanging out here at Fort Bragg for a little longer.

Sarah

School is going very well. I am taking Anatomy & Physiology, Intro. to Computers, and Intro. to Sociology (yeah, 11 credit hours when 6 credit hours is considered full-time for the shortened summer semester).  I am getting all A’s so far and it’s half-way through the semester.  The A&P is really hard but I think it might be my favorite of the three subjects.

Running has been difficult lately since the temperatures have been so high and the humidity has been at 100%. I walk outside and I can’t tell if I’m sweating or if it’s the humidity.  Hopefully we get a small break or something, then again it’s the South.

Lilly

Well, she’s getting bigger. The vet estimated that her size will be about 60lbs.  She is finally 4 months old tomorrow. We’ve scheduled her to get spayed on the 25th of this month.  At the vet this past Wednesday she weighed a little over 29lbs. She is still in the process of being housebroken but I am happy to say we haven’t used the SpotBot in about a week. YAY!

Well, that’s about it for now. It seems that’s I’ve written a book.  I’ve uploaded some more pictures to Flickr so make sure you take a look at those.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!