Fabulous Fall...

The weather in Saba is beginning to cool down and the nights are even cooler! Sidney and I are loving this beautiful weather. We spend most days playing outside where we can both enjoy it! She loves playing outside, riding down the neighbors sloped driveway on her little car! Everyday after her nap she says "GO, GO, GO!", which is what she yells as she is rolling down the driveway! Since out friend Becky and her kids are no longer on Saba, Sidney has been playing with our landlord's kids.

Ben has been really busy lately, which has taken some getting use to. This semester he has been staying at school from 7:30 AM till 9:00 PM. Sidney is usually still sleeping when he leave in the morning, so I let her stay up late a few nights a week so she can see her Dadda. Ben rides the school bus to and from school and Sidney sits on the front steps with her flash light and waits to see Dadda's bus. It is so cute how excited she gets when she hears the bus (which is just a 15 passenger van) coming down the road. We have a fairly long driveway, so she shines her little flash light so her Dadda can see the way to the house.

I am understanding what it feels like to be a single mother these days. Having an independent 2 year old is not always the easiest, but it is so rewarding! Sidney is growing so much and learns something new everyday. She knows almost all of the common animals and the sounds they make. She is talking so much and always comes up with something new. She is still in love with Sesame street but has a new love for baby dolls. I think the baby doll interested is from her seeing one of our friends with her new baby. Sidney feeds her baby doll with a bottle and always wants me to wrap it in a blanket just right! She is so girly and loves to dress up with as may bows as we can fit in her hair and a tutu!

I know Sidney misses our family so much. She often says random family member's names while playing. She misses going to church too. We watch Livingway church services online and she gets so excited. When I open the church's website, she starts waving at the screen and says "Hi hallelujah". I think it is so cute that she calls church hallelujah, but I guess that is what she hears!

I have been trying to stay busy during the day, which is not hard when Sidney is around. I am still doing my classes online and that keeps me busy after Sidney goes to bed and when Ben is up late studying. My day is usually filled with playing, singing and dancing! Sidney is so fun and keeps me entertained. I am also working on one of three quilts that I brought to make this semester. We go once a week to our "quilting class", which is more of a social event with a little sewing! I am really enjoying this group of ladies this semester. They are all very interesting and I enjoy their company. It is nice to have a group of friends that are all going through the same thing.

"There's no place like home..."

Another semester has come and gone here on Saba. Ben has one more test today and then we are jetting (as much as you can call Winair jetting) off to St. Maartin. We will spend the afternoon on the beach and in the pool. Ben has worked so hard this semsester, he deserves some down time.
Yesterday we said good bye to almost all of our friends here on Saba. Amanda, Megan, Danielle, Becky, and all the children... I hope our paths cross again one day. The have all be such great friends. I am so thankful that Mrs. Sally, one of our professor's wife, will still be here. She's my quilting buddy or should I say my quilting teacher!
On the last day of the semester looking back, is seems as though it has flown by. Though is did NOT feel that way just a few weeks ago. I felt like this day would never get here! We are so ready for a visit home. Sidney misses her grandparents so much and I know they miss her even more...
So one more sleep and we will be heading home to good Ol' Louisiana. There really is no place like home!!

The Change....

We are nearing the end of another semester here in Saba and things are changing. People are moving in and people are moving out. I am sad to see such good friends leaving, but I am looking forward to meeting new ones.

Those of you how know me best, know that I have no problem with change. The last 5 years of my life have been nothing but change. Ben and I got married, we bought a house, had a baby, sold a house, and moved to the Caribbean for Medical school. I have no problem with those kinds of changes. The one change that I am having a hard time with is the changing of Sidney. She is no longer a "baby". She is now a big girl that wants to dress and feed herself and she is very independent. She is so aware of the world around her and wants to experience everything.

Last night I was pulling things out to bring to yard sale that some of the SOS were joining. I decided to put Sidney's walker in the sale. As I was wiping it down, I began to tear up. Remembering the 8 month old little girl who played in it, I could not hold back my emotions.

While at the yard sale, Sidney watched my friend Becky put her little girl in the walker. Later she watched Becky wrap Gracen in a blanket and rock her to sleep.
The walker did not sell so we took it back home. When we returned home, the first thing Sidney did was grab a dish towel and wrap her baby doll in it. After a few minutes she put her baby in the walker... wonder where she got that idea???

She is growing so fast and it makes me sad in some ways but mostly amazed. Amazed to see this once "baby" girl, becoming a big girl who wants to pick out her shoes and clothes and play baby dolls.

Change is good and I like change, so I will enjoy every second of the change from "Baby" to big girl!

What a visit!

My Mom and Dad finally made a trip to Saba. We had an incredible time while they were on island. Ben, Sidney, and I finally felt like we were able to see Saba and all it's beauty. They arrived on Friday night and we picked them up from the Airport. I have never seen people and luggage pilled so tight in one car, but we made it home! The first hour or so was spent unpacking prizes. They brought something for everyone. Sidney loved the doll and Abby dishes that Grammie and Nana sent and she is enjoying her costume from her Papaw. Mom and Dad entertained Ben and Sidney's sweet tooth by bringing M&M's, Nerds and Runts! But Best of all was what they brought me!! A cooler full of fresh meat! Shrimp, pork roast, boudin were just a few of the wonderful things inside the bag! They also brought the beloved Community coffee and a percolator. Saturday morning I made breakfast and we had some of the delicious coffee. After breakfast we went for a hike and Mom and Dad got their first real taste of Saba.
Over the next few days we tried to show them every inch of the island! After a flat tire, one bum knee (Dad's) and a gas shortage on the island, I truly feel like they experienced Saba.
After 4 days on Saba, Sidney and I went and spent 3 days on St. Maartin with Mom and Dad. We had a great time shopping and swimming. We stayed at the Maho, I will definitely stay there again! The hotel had it's own beach and an awesome pool.
We are really looking forward to our next visitors here on Saba. So if anyone in interested, as Sidney would say "Com' on"!!

Oh how fast it goes...

I often think about how fast Sidney is growing. She will be 2 years old in only 2 months. I can not believe my sweet baby girl is now a toddler. I realize that she will not be small forever. If I don't want to believe that, I am sure I can just ask Ben and my parents. I am sure they will be the first to tell us that your children do not stay small forever.
I have decided that today I will stop worrying about how fast she is growing and start enjoying every moment of it. I will find joy in every boo boo that need kissing, every hug that makes everything better, and giggle that we share together.
There have been a few nights in the last couple of weeks that when I go to bed, I get Sidney out of her bed and just rock her. She is so busy during the day that she doesn't like to just sit still. So at night I rock her and get all the kisses I want.
With all that goes on everyday, I pray that I am able to give her the attention she deserves and needs. I don't want to miss a moment of her life. She is my world and a gift from God. Lord please let me live in a way that represents You to this little life.

A package has come.....

Today Sidney and I walked down to Windwardside to pick up a package that Ben's parents sent. It is amazing how excited we get over a little cardboard box! It is a really big ordeal for us to get a package. Ben is usually at school when we get them, so we have to promise not to even peek in the box until he gets home. Finally, as soon as he walks in the door we meet him with package in hand!
Sidney and Ben sit on the couch to open it and I have the camera in hand. First out of the box, a beautiful dress. Sidney quickly moves on the the Elmo books while continually yelling "ELMO ELMO ELMO". Then she spots a ducky costume from her Nana. After convincing her to keep looking in the box and to not put the ducky on at that moment, she sees her! Abby Cadabby, which is only Sidney's favorite Sesame Street character.
The whole time she is going through the box I was napping pictures. The excitement on her fact was priceless!
After we finally got the ducky costume off of her, we convinced her to go to bed. She is now fast asleep with her Abby in her arms!
Like I said, getting a package is a really big deal....

Mommy's little helper

Have you met Mommy's little helper? She is about 2 1/2 feet tall and 26 pounds. This little help has the biggest brown eyes you ever did see and the most beautiful brown ringlets that she got from her Daddy.

This little helper is always there to hand me thing regardless if I want them or not! She will go in the bathroom and dig way back in the cabinet until she finds something she knows Mommy must have!! Then here she comes running yelling "Mommy, Mommy" the whole way to bring the thing that she has found... a wash rag! As to not break Mommy's helper's little heart, I take it with a smile and thank her. When she is not looking, I sneak to the bathroom and put it back. So this continues all day, with toys, shoes, spoons, clothes (clean and dirty), and any thing else she thinks Mommy might need. I would not trade my little helper for the world.

Just tonight this little helper helped me make crescents rolls. She was covered from head to toe in flour. I would not trade the cleanest child in the world for this little helper who likes the way her arms look with flour on them! She had so much fun rolling and smashing the dough. What a wonderful little helper Mommy has!

The Simple things

Some times it is the simplest things in life that mean the most.
A smile, a kiss, a thank you, chocolate, a sweet note, long showers, and grocery stores that are open on Sundays and have milk and vegetables every day of the week.

Here on Saba, our stores close at 7PM and don't open till 8AM. Milk and vegetables only come once a week, on Wednesdays. Sidney ran out of milk last night, and we will not be able to get any until Wednesday,(at $5.50 for a HALF gallon, I might add...) that is a day and a half away. So in the mean time we will be using powdered milk, which is not her favorite.

Oh well, it's the simple things in life that you miss the most when you don't have them. I really am missing Wal-Mart right now. I miss being able to stand in a line for 30 minutes and complain about there only being 2 cashiers and 30 people checking out!! I will never complain about standing in line at Wal-mart again! I would love to be standing in that long line at this very minute, with my milk in cart! Oh for a store that says open 24 HOURS!!


Like I said.... it's the simple things....

Every one's sleeping but Mommy

What a nice Sunday we have had today. We stayed home all day. Why you may ask, not because we wanted to, but because it was our only choice. This week makes week 5 of no breaks in our car! Oh well, it is a Saba car, and this too shall pass.
We made the best of our day! Sidney and I made biscuits for Daddy this morning. They did not turn out very well, but boy we had fun making them though....




Sidney is in love with her Mr. Potato head that I ordered off of Ebay. She plays with it every waking moment, when she is not watching Elmo that is! This child L-O-V-E-S Elmo. Well pretty much just Sesame street in general. Ben has her saying all of the character names. My absolute favorite would have to be when she says Grover. It comes out "Gober". But Elmo and Abby Cadabby are by for her favorites!!
Ben is still hanging in there. This semester is a tough one, on many leaves. We are so thankful for the extra time with have with him. I must say, it helps having him around when the terrible 2's kick in. Sidney loves for her Daddy to read to her and he has been able to do a lot more of that this semester. Blessing come in many forms and we are just trying to remember to see it as just that, a blessing.
Ben is napping and Sidney is down for the night. I am working on home work and trying to finish off the rest of this semester!