Air Show

On Memorial Day weekend we decided to brave the bad weather and head up to the air show at Hill Air Force Base.  We used to go to air shows in Atlanta, and so they have a special place in our hearts.  This particular air show was a success and a disaster all wrapped in one.  To say the least, it was very MEMORABLE.  :)


First, the air show was fantastic!  We got to see paragliders jump out of a plane and descend with the American flag.  We got to see some amazing planes fly so low and so fast, and do some incredible tricks. And we got to get up close in inside planes and copters, as well as walk through this HUGE transporter plane!

On the other hand....it turned a bit sour when Ethan was standing in the stroller to get his drink and fell backwards onto his head on the pavement.  It scared me.  He was pretty upset for awhile, and had quite a goose egg.  When we decided to leave, I managed to trip Jake with our stroller as we fought the crowd, which almost made him fall carrying Ethan, and bent the wheel on the stroller.  And then the weather was chilly, although definitely much more tolerable than the extreme heat and humidity we were accustomed to at our Georgia air shows!  But it got colder and windier and then the rain came, just in time for our mile walk back to our car, facing the wind and the rain.  All the while Jake pushed the double stroller tipped on its hind legs only, and I encouraged Christian to forge on!  It was rough, but we all survived it!

And luckily, once we got in the van, and got some food into the boys, everyone perked up.  And Ethan couldn't stop eating!  I think he ate two whole sandwiches, two string cheeses, lots of peanuts, and crackers and apples... I decided he must be okay from the fall since he was so famished!  And then luckily, the boys seem to remember how cool the planes were instead of the down side.  So despite it all, I'd still say it was a success!  

Although I'm not sure if we are ready to make this a tradition... :)

FORTS

Almost on a daily basis I find Ethan in Owen's room building a fort.  

The same fort every time, with the same blankets, the same rocking chair, and the same space inside.  

I love to catch him in his element, just building away.  

Owen thinks it's pretty fun too, until he wrecks the fort and Ethan gets frustrated and locks him out of his very own room.  And Christian thinks it's fun, but Ethan gets so upset when Christian ruins it.  

It's a pretty fragile fort, seeing as it's built on a rocker and a glider, two unstable elements. 

  

But I love to hear Ethan announce the rules: 

Chwistian is not awwowwed in my fort.  Only Efan and Owen.

And not Mommy and not Daddy. 

Clearly, the three of us are too big for such a tiny fort.  :)

(These pictures are terrible quality, but they're all I've got and I have to remember these days.)

Laundry Day

Monday is laundry day.  

Christian and Ethan are excellent helpers at hauling the laundry to the basement.  I think part of the reason they are so willing is because this is first where the laundry ends up...

Almost without fail, Christian and Ethan build themselves their very own "house."  And sometimes they make a bed too, and take a nap. Until I insist that I NEED the laundry downstairs so I can start running it.

Not to worry, their house is rebuilt as soon as those baskets are emptied.  And if I'm not fast enough, they will empty all the dirty laundry into one ginormous pile before I can get down there to sort it first.  It makes sorting a little more daunting.  Oh well, at least it gets to the laundry room.  :)

I'm lucky to have such good laundry helpers. :)

First Summer Favorite

I just came across this picture from a few weeks ago, and I didn't realize I'd taken such a perfect picture. 

I love it.

Everything about it.

Owen's facial expression and messy hair.

Ethan's wide-mouthed popsicle.

Christian's forced cheese.

My reflection in the window.

Here we are, on a summer day, just being the four of us.  

Nothing extraordinary about it, just a typical day of eating popsicles on the step.

Quite typical, really.

But a moment not ever to be forgotten.  

Owen, 15 months

Owen has grown and learned and changed so much since he turned one!  I should have written about him each month in between, but alas, here we are at 15 months already!  He has really turned into my little boy who thinks he's big now, just like his brothers.  I keep saying he's a baby, but he's really so grown up!  I can't believe how fast he changed into a little toddler.  But he's still so cute, so fun, so sweet, and oh so very loved by us all!

First off, I took him to the doctor yesterday for his 15 month check up and he is healthy and well, and getting to be tall and skinny!  Here are his stats:

Height: 31.75 inches (71%)
Weight: 23.75 lbs (39%)
Head: 19.1 inches (85%)

Here are some things about Owen at 15 months:
1. most importantly...OWEN IS WALKING! As of about two weeks ago, he's really figured it out.  He had lots of practice while we were at the beach house in Texas, and then the moment we walked into our house when we got home, he just took off walking all over on his own.  He is so proud of himself!  And now he thinks he is big just like his brothers.  I can't believe how much he has grown up just in these last couple weeks of learning to walk, but it is so fun to see his personality come out even more.
2. He is cutting his two top molars and the bottom two are looking close.
3. He talks. And babbles, LOTS.  He can say a lot of words, and his most common phrase lately has been, "I see!"  If I am telling the boys about something, he doesn't want to be left out and insists, "I see!" It's so fun to hear this.  The doctor was pretty impressed with his talking skills.  :) Owen is definitely my loudest child.  He likes to be heard and noticed!
4. He loves his binky and blankie.
5. He is still a snuggler.  So so sweet!
6. Still loves his Daddy! (and Mommy too, of course) But he gets SOO excited when Daddy gets home, including screams and smiles and laughter and more squeals.  How can you not be so happy to be home with a greeting like that?
7. He is silly and loves to make his brothers laugh.  And the louder they laugh, the sillier he gets.
8. He is social.  He greets everyone who passes our house, whether on foot or bike or car with a wave and a "hi."  And it sounds like a perfect cowboy accent hi!  :)
9. He has the sweetest smile and bluest eyes.  And he always gives a great "Cheese!" when he sees the camera!
10. He is very ticklish!
11. He is an excellent napper and sleeper!  He still takes two two-hour naps during the day and then sleeps twelve hours straight all night.  Bless him!
12. He gives the best kisses.
13. If he doesn't see me, he toddles around yelling, "Mama! Mama!" It always makes me laugh.
14. He loves peek-a-boo and I love to hear him say Boo! it sounds more like "Boh"
15. He is a great eater and gobbles down pretty much anything I give him.  Except milk.  He still won't drink milk plain.  Luckily he will eat it on cereal and loves all things dairy, so I think we're okay.  The doctor wasn't concerned.
16. He loves animals and can make most of the sounds. He still gets excited when he sees a dog and starts "wooffing" loudly over and over.
17.  He LOVES taking baths.
18. He loves the water! He will play in the kiddie pool outside forever, loves to go to the big pool, and doesn't ever complain when he gets splashed in the face.
19. He still has his high-pitched scream that escapes every now and then, but he has developed a new demanding sound...this hilarious growl/groan/grunt.  It makes me laugh, unless everyone else is whining at me too.  Then it's like nails on a chalkboard.  :)
20. He is such a happy little guy, who puts up with two tormenting brothers and loves to play and climb and sit on your lap and snuggle.  We simply love him!

Owen, 14 months

Just the cutest picture of this little boy who melts our hearts.  

Summer is Here!

And we have already consumed an entire bag of these popsicles and counting. It has been an unusually hot June already.  I think I will keep track and have a grand total at the end of the summer.  These three little ones sure love them.  And maybe their mommy does too, especially the pina colada flavor.    

Rizzo!

The day finally came.  

For months we have been talking about Rizzo.  For months Daddy has been telling "Agent R" stories at bedtime, starring secret agent Rizzo.  For months we have been getting glimpses of Rizzo's new home.  

Meet Rizzo.

Our Daddy has the coolest job.  He has been engineering all of the new projects at the zoo, including the newly opened Rocky Shores.  This means that we have a bit of inside information about all the cool zoo projects and the animals that inhabit them.  This also means that Jake and I (along with his company) have been invited to some fun, exclusive parties and events at the zoo, including the sneak preview night of Rocky Shores.  So cool!  But we didn't think we could take the boys.  

They have long awaited meeting Rizzo and the day finally came yesterday!

 Unfortunately it was actually a bit of a cooler morning, and Rizzo didn't ever get in the water, but the boys didn't seem disappointed at all.  They loved him!  And they loved the seals and "Big Guy" (the blind sea lion) and especially the training and feeding we got to see of them.  They also loved the grizzly bears, who did choose to play in the water for awhile.  

It was a great day at the zoo!  We can't wait to go back! 

(Daddy was there too.  He met us up there but headed back to work after we saw Rocky Shores.)

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

I am WAY behind on this blog.  But without further adieu, I cannot miss this important holiday, to celebrate the number one man in my life.  :)  How grateful we are for the Daddy of this family.

I attempted a "Father's Day Picture" after church.  This was the best I got of all my boys.  :)

And my second best...wrestling with Dad!

And how grateful we are to all the father's in our lives.  Happy Father's Day!