Uniform and Unicorn

"Ma'am, I am going to change the CAP station.  Unicorn sounds a lot like uniform."

***
Earlier that day, I had met Niles and the kids on my lunch break, so I was still in my khaki uniform.  Anduin pointed at my khaki uniform and asked me, "Mommy, why are you wearing your unicorn?"

"My what?"

"Your unicorn."

"My what?"

"Your unicorn!"

"Oh...  You mean uniform."

***
So the other student in my class was right.  Unicorn does sound a lot like uniform.  So once we had put the single letter callsigns for our aircraft up on the CAP (Combat Air Patrol) station, we had to change one of the CAP stations.  No longer could we have Magic and Unicorn.

So instead after our very serious one and a half hour session describing various tactical advantages, one of the civilian instructors waited until after the CO left to demand, "All right, who's idea was Magic and Mike?"

My Daughter Doesn't Want to be a Princess, She Wants to be a Pirate

Since we accidentally left our Chromecast in San Diego, we have been watching a lot of Disney Junior in our household while living in Virginia.  Previously, Anduin had only watched "Jake and the Neverland Pirates" on Netflix on demand.  However, since it is a Disney show, she now can watch it several times a day, along with any other show Disney has geared towards her age group.  I've noticed that there are several shows geared specifically towards little girls like "Sofia the First" or "Doc McStuffins."  And both of these shows are pretty decent in that the protagonist is a little girl trying to learn some valuable lessons and show how much she cares about others.  In fact, neither of these shows offends me.  What offends me is what happened when I decided to go buy Anduin a t-shirt of "Jake and the Neverland Pirates."

At the Disney Store, I was told they didn't carry any "Jake" merchandise, except for a 20 inch stuffed Izzy, the female character in the show.  I personally am creeped out of dolls that large or anything resembling such, so I veoted that one.  I was told by the ever helpful clerk (excuse, me "cast member") was that they did have "Miles from Tomorrowland" t-shirts... In the boy's section.

So I ventured online to buy Anduin a t-shirt because of course, the internet has everything.  Well, it turns out it has everything except "Jake" shirts in girl sizes featuring someone other than Izzy.  Izzy is not her favorite character, it's Jake because he's the leader who wields a sword (whereas Izzy gets stuck with pixie dust she can only use in emergencies).  And then I got annoyed.  Why do we think little girls would only choose to identify/emulate another girl character?  Why can't they have heroes who are boys too?  Or in Anduin's other case, she wanted a t-shirt with Merck, the silly ostrich from "Miles and Tomorrowland", any other creature than a girl?  By limiting our little girls to identifying with other girls, are we setting them up to believe that the only people they can grow up to inspire are other little girls?  I suddenly remembered the CMC on the CHUNG-HOON awkwardly telling me that he hoped I could inspire not just the female engineers but um, all engineers too, and maybe um, non-engineers too.

So Anduin, I hope you keep asking me for a slide in a hideaway that goes to your own pirate ship (because come on, I want one too!).

And yes, I bought her two "Jake" shirts online.  In blue and yellow.  With no sparkles, just a really cool sea serpent.

Why Promotions Should Never Happen During Nap Time (Funny Version)

For my promotion to Lieutenant Commander, I completely and utterly mooched off the planning for a Lieutenant Commander being promoted to Commander who was stationed at ATRC, the school house I was attending when my promotion came up.  It meant I had to do nothing other than add my invitees to her list, buy my collar devices, and make sure the folks I invited actually showed up on time.

Okay, so 2 out of 3 isn't bad.

Because I had been waiting outside the building for Niles, the kids, and my in-laws to arrive, I had missed the fact that the young children from the other officer being promoted had spent the half-hour or so running generally amok in the auditorium.  I mean, if I was a toddler wearing a Batman cape, that's exactly what I would have been doing too.  Instead, Niles rolled in with Anduin about 80% asleep, and by the time, we actually got everyone settled to start the ceremony, the other kids were cranky and trying to nap on the floor...  Right in the middle of the promotion ceremony.

We managed to persuade Anduin to wake up enough to help pin on my collar devices, but she was so quiet, Niles actually didn't even notice she was helping until they were on the second oak leaf.

And I lucked out.  At least my kids participated!  The little boy with the Batman cape literally tried to nap in front of his mom as she knelt, pleading with him and his older to sister to put on her new shoulder boards.  I felt selfishly appreciative my kids had performed on cue, but then I also realized they were a bit older...

And didn't need naps anymore... And certainly not during the scheduled promotion time.

LCDR... Finally. (Sappy Version)

I promoted to Lieutenant Commander during a formal ceremony on September 4, 2015.

Finally.

It felt like a forever in coming.

I was selected back in May (or was it June?) of 2014.  I then had the pleasure of waiting over a year for the promotion to actually happen.  When I was selected, I was not nearly as excited as I thought I should be.  Everyone kept talking about how O-4 was the first promotion that you earn, not one that just happens after a prescribed length of time.  And that's true... to an extent.  Up to the point when I realized that 92% of SWO's were selected my year group.  At that point, it didn't feel as much as being selected for what I had done, as much as being selected for what I had not done (no DUI, no PRT failures, no fraternization, no DFC's for me).  So to say that I was a bit blase about my promotion was an understatement.  I only grew more so when I realized that I would be promoting while I was a student in Dahlgren, VA for training.  One of the only redeeming features about Dahlgren is its proximity to other places.

But that was until Niles started getting excited for me.  He reminded me this was the first promotion ceremony he would attend.  I had basically promoted myself to LTJG while TAD to a carrier in 5th Fleet.  I had promoted to Lieutenant on my ship in Norfolk and was so busy, I didn't even think to ask him to take the day off to come.  But this time around, he was the one who reminded me to invite folks.  I think up until two months before my actual promotion, I had figured I would just do on my actual date of rank... Squeezed into my lunch break so I would not miss class.  I'd invite Niles and the kids, but that would be it.  It was he who reminded me I could have someone other than the CO of ATRC, who I had met once, to administer my oath.  It was he who reminded to invite my in-laws from Maryland to make the drive.  It was he who first put the idea of inviting someone from every one of my ships to the ceremony.  (Thanks, ATRC, for being AEGIS Mecca so that I could actually do that.)  It was he who helped pick out clothes for the kids and helped practice the pinning of the new devices on my collars.

And it was he who I forgot to actually thank in my promotion speech.

Go figure.  I managed to thank LCDR Ryan Rogers, who drove down from Annapolis to administer the oath, even dragging his own in-laws with him.  I managed to thank my class from Dahlgren who took time off their lunch break, despite my protests, to see me promoted.  I managed to thank FCC Holliday, who used to be my CF02 WCS on the PAUL HAMILTON, LT Streich who was the FCO on the CHUNG-HOON with me, and my new FCO and FCC on the RAFAEL PERALTA with me.  But ungrateful spouse that I am, and despite my repeated reminders to myself that morning, I forgot to actually thank Niles.

So thanks, Ryan, for the really beautiful and heartfelt words I should have said to my husband on my promotion.

3 Going on 16

Anduin is a large amount of sass in a tiny body.  In fact, Niles and I both joke how she is 3 going on 16.  A couple of recent examples of why...

(Loud, suspicious noise in another room)
Niles and I look at each other while trying to figure out whether someone should go investigate.  Anduin comes into our room from the direction of the loud noise.
Niles: What are you doing, Anduin?
Anduin: Oh, nothing.  Don't worry about it, Daddy.

*****
While discussing turtles, she corrects me on the difference between a tortoise and turtle, and then adds, "Silly, Mommy, I know soooo much."

*****
During a particularly epic temper tantrum, she rushed to the bedroom door, paused to glare at me angrily and make sure I saw her, and then slammed the door as loud as she could.  She then repeated this at least nine more times over the course of the next hour.


But then last night after she woke up in the middle night, she crawled into bed with me, laid on top of me, and whispered, "Mommy, it's your sweet baby Anduin.  Hold me" and fell back asleep.

And then I remember, oh wait, she's still only 3.

"Mommy, do you have a ship yet?"

I'm in process of executing what feels like the slowest orders ever.  I am currently TAD in San Diego for over 3 months while I attend various random Navy schools before I will eventually report to a precommissioning ship.  For my kids, this is a completely mystifying experience.  First off, they are actually awake when I leave for work in the morning.  Secondly, they are amused by the fact that Mommy goes to school, not work.  But every morning, our conversation usually follows something like this:

Me:  All right, babies, I'm off to work.  Be good for Daddy.
Owen/Anduin: Do you have a ship yet?
Me: No, I still don't have a ship.
Owen/Anduin: When are you going to have a ship?
Me: Not for a very long time.
Owen/Anduin: Where do you work then?
Me: In a building.
Owen/Anduin: A building???  That's silly.

That's right, sailors, the idea of us working in a building is silly.

ETA - Walking with Babies

Since moving to San Diego, the babies and I have done a lot more walking to get to places.  In fact, I usually prefer it.  Before we start walking anywhere, I usually Google Map the destination to figure out the distance and estimated time to the destination.  I just wish there was a "walking with small children" means of transportation option in addition to the car, public transportation, and walking because let's be honest, the estimated time is way not accurate with small children.

Case in point...  I decided to walk from the MIDWAY museum to the New Children's Museum.  Google Maps told me it should take 18 minutes to get there.  This is what it actually took:

10 minutes to walk three blocks.
10 more minutes to persuade the babies to walk another three blocks and cross two streets.
40 minutes to take a break for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory.
10 minutes to cross another street.
5 minutes to play hide and seek on one block.
5 minutes for me to argue with the younger child about walking until I finally gave in and carried her the last block and a half.

So yeah, come on, Google Maps, it took way longer than 18 minutes.

Next time, I bring the scooters and/or my collapsible wagon.