Merry Christmas!

A Christmas carol...

Shuttle Landing

Today the space shuttle Endeavour landed here at Edwards and we were able to watch it from about a couple miles away. It was so awesome! What a treat!

Waiting...


and watching...


and fighting an evil bush while waiting some more...


And now, a digital flipbook of the landing, 'cause it's so cool!! (Click on the photos to make them bigger so you can see the shuttle better)

Whattup, Dudes

Why Mommy Yells in the Evening

Water, Water Everywhere!

20 Questions

O.K., maybe just four...

Even Laundry Can Be Turned Into A Game

Exciting Times!

Election Day 2008

Seriously. We should have snacks.

He Would Totally Rock Paper Mache...

One of the many reasons why I love preschool for Aaron is that he comes home and is magically able to do things. One of these things is cutting with scissors. He's so good at it now! I tried to teach him a couple months ago but was really afraid for his fingers so we stopped. Now, however, he cuts like a rock star. I guess it was probably a combination of Ms. Heather having better teaching skills than me (that's why I pay her, right?) plus the added benefit of watching his classmates do it.

Now if I could just make sure, when I send him off to kindergarten, that he's still not chanting, "open, close, open, close..."

Happy Halloween!

Halloween is sooooooooo much more fun with a three-year-old. Last year, trick-or-treating had to be cut short due to Aaron's gigantic tantrum because he didn't understand why we were knocking on people's doors but not going inside! So this year, Bill and I actually "taught" him what trick-or-treating was all about and even held a few practice runs this week as well. And he did so well tonight, especially considering he filled the Halloween candy bowl back up with his own loot after I had just finished emptying it to all our trick-or-treaters. Halloween in the new neighborhood rocks!! Here are a few pictures from our night:

Spiderman costume without the Spiderman headpiece. There was no way we were getting that thing on him.

Aaron with his pumpkin. (There was a "Daddy Pumpkin" and a "Mommy Pumpkin" too but the Mommy Pumpkin died and molded under the 80+ degree heat! So wrong!).

Daddy even dressed up! Well, at least it made it easier to find him in the dark.

You'll Bawl. Trust Me.

Handsome Boy

Like Father, Like Son

Daddy working on his "Master's Crap;" Aaron tagging along as usual.

Please ignore the Aaron hippie hair. It's been cut since then, trust me.

Ring Around the Rosies...

Asses...Asses...We all fall down!

Rock Star Mommy

I feel like such a rock star because, this weekend, I'm off on a jet plane by myself to run this:

Actually, I'm running the half marathon, not the full, but it's still all so very exciting. I'm very excited because 1) I love to run, 2) I love the Air Force and 3) I finally get to say that I've been to Dayton, Ohio. Why is that last one such a big deal? Well, I seem to be surrounded by people who have, at one point or another, been associated with Dayton or nearby Wright-Patterson AFB. Bill's parents met at the University of Dayton and were married there. Several of Bill's TPS classmates came from the AFIT (Air Force Institute of Technology) program at Wright-Patt. Bill has been there a few times for various reasons. And I want to go! So this should be a lot of fun. Wish me luck!!

Oh, So This is Why We Buy Those Big, Dumb Things

If Only He Knew How "Cool" This Is

I know. Mommy needs to buy him better fitting pants if he's not going to have diaper-butt anymore.

A Digital Flipbook

Hey, Tracy, if you ever hear excited yelping coming from our backyard - this could be the reason. This is how Aaron swings on his swing set and he always does it with sound effects. It hurts my tummy just watching it.

Look What We Found in Our Backyard!

It's amazing how well this Praying Mantis blended into our Gorillas in the Mist grass (Daddy's first job on his Honey-Do list when he gets back: mow the grass. I would do it but why? He's perfectly capable...and better at it, I might add.). It looked just like another blade of grass. I'm not sure how I even noticed it. It will probably meet it's death either by boy feet, pestering dog or aforementioned lawn mower blade, but it's still pretty cool looking.

Happy Birthday, Daddy

We love and miss you. We hope you have a good birthday in North Carolina.

P.S. You're old.

The Gospel According to Kate

Do any of you watch Jon & Kate Plus 8 on TLC? I do. Religiously. Mostly because it never fails to make me feel better about my own life. When I'm just about this close to ripping my hair out because of Aaron, I think "Hey, at least I don't have seven more just like him." That's right. The show follows Jon and Kate and their eight children - seven-year-old twin girls plus a set of four-year-old sextuplets (three girls and three boys).

I was watching an episode the other night and Kate said something so prophetic, so profound that I had to share it with the entire world:

"Boys are ridiculously disobedient."

Amen, sister. Amen.

This angel? Disobedient? Surely you jest.

Baby's First Day of Preschool

Today Aaron started preschool. I have been taking him to the Child Development Center (CDC) here on base a few times a week since we moved here a year and a half ago, so you wouldn't think this would be a very big deal. But it was. Trust me. Aaron's teacher's name is Ms. Heather and she runs the preschool out of her home. Aaron will go Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30-11:30 each day. There are only five other kids besides Aaron and most of them are three years old, just like him, with maybe a couple of the kids being four. What's even better is two of Aaron's TPS friends, Delaney and Landon, are in the class with him as well! (Their daddies were in Bill's TPS class last year.)

I can report that Aaron had a very good day today. Ms. Heather called him a "bright kid" because he spouted out his letters and numbers like they were old news. He did get into a small scuffle with another kid (we had that problem a lot at the CDC) but Ms. Heather got on him immediately and told him to use his words instead of hitting. And he was fine after that. He also had an potty accident, but we're still working on that. I think Aaron had a great day and we can't wait for Thursday!

I have pictures but I was in such a hurry this morning (I'm never on time for anything), that I didn't have time to adjust important things like, you know, the settings and flash. So some pictures look orange and some are not quite in focus. Oh, well.

First day of preschool!

"Cheese!"
"You know I'm rockin' my new backpack and my combed hair!" Well, new backpack to him. Grandma Q sent it months ago but I've been saving it for just such a special occasion!

"I said 'cheese,' woman! Dang!"
Walking in like a big boy.
Aaron and his very own cubby!! Something else he didn't have at the CDC - his very own place in the world!! (Again, sorry about the flash.)

Where We've Been

Can you guess?


Happy 10th Anniversary to us (8/8/08).

And Now, For Your Listening Pleasure...

...a lullaby.

Good night and, as Aaron would say, have good sleeps!

My Sweet Water Baby

This is how we spend most of our days because, good Lord, it's hot here.

Mommy says, "Keep the hat on or we're going inside!" Hey, that threat actually works! Who knew!

Practicing his kicking.

Hot dog.