This is what happens when Jacob starts spelling and decides to help
his brother leave hints that it’s snacktime. Since Timmy didn’t eat
his lunch, I was making him wait till 2:30pm for his yogurt snack.
Today has been gray and rainy all day. Ugh.
Dave is in Michigan for a Google Earth conference. I’m jealous. I love Google Earth and would LOVE to learn how to write code for overlaying data!
So it’s just the boys and me tonight, so we had a laid-back afternoon/evening. We built Legos, ate macaroni and cheese for dinner, popped some popcorn, watched some Return of the Jedi, and had a video teleconference with FotoMom and her son Joey!
I have to share the popcorn experience with you. I picked up an ear of popcorn at the Arbor Day Farm.
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| From 2008 10 21 BigRedPopcorn |
So this is it. About $2 from the souvenir shop.
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| From 2008 10 21 BigRedPopcorn |
I like these instructions! So you can’t sue the company if your microwave explodes?
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| From 2008 10 21 BigRedPopcorn |
So here’s the popping bag.
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| From 2008 10 21 BigRedPopcorn |
And here’s the popping bag with the ear of corn it in, per the instructions.
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| From 2008 10 21 BigRedPopcorn |
The instructions say to fold down the bag THREE TIMES, which is what I do here.
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| From 2008 10 21 BigRedPopcorn |
The shots of the corn in the microwave popping didn’t come out, but this is the product when it’s done. For starters, I popped this about a minute longer than your standard Pop Secret or Orville Redenbacher’s and it DIDN’T BURN! The first kernels popping sends the cob bouncing in the bag in the oven, which the boys thought was really funny.
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| From 2008 10 21 BigRedPopcorn |
A closeup of the cob — several kernels popped and remained on the cob. Cool!
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| From 2008 10 21 BigRedPopcorn |
The finished product. The one cob gave us about 1 1/2 commercial bags worth of popped corn. Since this is about as pure as it gets, we had to season it ourselves. All I did in this case was drizzle 2 Tbsp. of melted salted butter on top. Perfection!
So the boys and I sat down and devoured this popcorn while watching the first part of Return of the Jedi. Then Maryann chimed in on AIM and we chatted for a few minutes. After all this time, I never got around to installing our web cam on our desktop computer…it’s a laptop webcam and Dave took the laptop with the software with him to Michigan. So we discussed letting our boys see each other and talk on the AIM webcam:
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| From 2008 10 21 VideoTeleconWithMaryannJoey |
Joey and Timmy are showing each other their toy lightsabers. Joey’s is green (on the main screen) and Timmy’s is blue (on the inset screen). The laptop camera is on the left side of the picture, clipped to the left hand of my running trophy, which you can read about me winning here.
The boys had a blast with this — I put the camera far enough away on the desk that both boys could easily be in Joey’s field of view and they had the best time exchanging stories and telling each other how much they miss each other (awwwww….).
In a rare moment, I was able to get the webcam working in about 10 minutes…that’s the time it took to install the software and configure the video/audio on the webcam. Usually something goes awry when I’m installing new hardware, but tonight we were lucky — I figured I’d be jinxed for sure with 3 little boys’ happiness riding on whether the software installed correctly!
Today I got Timmy’s preschool portraits and I’m SO HAPPY with them! Even though they had different photographers, it was a pleasant surprise to see how both Timmy’s and Jake’s pictures are composed similarly (i.e., both simple head shots, no props or anything), so if they’re hanging side by side in the living room (my plan), they’ll look nice together.
This is more of a cry for assistance than anything else. I still don’t trust that my 6-year-old is brushing his teeth on his own well enough. I remember getting some serious lessons in 2nd grade (remember those pink-colored plaque tablets?)
Meanwhile, Timmy wants nothing to do with my help when he’s brushing his teeth and I know he’s cutting corners. So I butt in with ample protest every day to “finish the job.”
Feel free to add comments about your opinions!
First of all, I realize that I’m part of a very small American population. I’m an (almost) stay-at-home Mom who likes airplanes. And the things I’ve had to learn about American airpower are pretty nit-noid. An F-22 brings a different capability to the fight than an F-16, F-18 or F-35.
I scanned this picture from a to-remain-unnamed product catalog that I got in the mail last weekend. I’m sure many of you will see hints of where this came from and that’s fine. For the most part, I love the company. I find many unique babyproofing and kids’ travel items here, so I place orders 1-2 times per year.
I turned to this page and had to scratch my head at this one.
1.) The real Blue Angels don’t fly F/A-22 Raptors. They fly F/A-18 Hornets.
So I took the time to look at pictures of these two planes and I have to admit, I can’t really tell which of the two this toy is trying to emulate.
2.) So I followed a link to the F-35, which is an aircraft still in production. Several prototypes are out and about, doing testing for the Air Force, Navy and Marines. I wonder if the toy will look the most like an F-35? You be the judge.
3.) The flight suit is cute, isn’t it? I LOVE how one of the patches shows the kid as a “U.S. Air Force Top Gun”. And the F-117 patch, too. Really cute.
The “Top Gun” school made famous in the Tom Cruise movie was based on the Navy Fighter Weapon School at NAS Miramar, CA. The school is now at NAS Fallon, Nevada.
Not Air Force. I think an AF pilot might punch me if I called him a “Top Gun”.
The Air Force has a similar school at Nellis AFB, near Las Vegas, Nevada. I don’t know what nicknames are associated with the school, but I’m sure “Top Gun” isn’t one of them.
So I guess what we have here is this cute little hybrid Air Force/Navy airplane and flight suit outfit for your budding fighter pilot to enjoy. Regardless of whether he wants to join the Air Force or Navy. Think Purple — One Team, One Fight, right?
Some might argue: who the hell cares? It’s just a toy!
I guess so…
Perhaps I’ll get on a soap box another time about teaching things to kids WRONG. Especially when those things are taught to MY kids wrong.
Note: I just discovered this toy was manufactured by Little Tikes and is no-kidding marketed as an F-22. I thought it was the catalog’s misinformation. I guess not. Click on the link if you want to get one for your kid. I’m not saying “Don’t buy it!”. After all, it sure does look cute…but you won’t see me buy one. My kids need to learn to pedal their bikes/big wheels under their own power first.
The city of Bellevue has an Early Childhood Center colocated with their school board headquarters building.
There are two rooms each set up like preschool classrooms and any Bellevue residents with preschool-aged children can visit. They’re open 5 days per week, 8:30 – 4:The parents stay with the children and are encouraged to participate in the activities.
Timmy and I been having a wonderful time playing house, dress up, putting together puzzles, and today Timmy threaded these wooden beads onto a string to make a necklace.
Not quite that relaxing.
I figured I’ve give a little briefing on our weekend…we didn’t do a ton, but we had a nice time.
On Saturday, we started with a family bike ride. Dave wanted to step up his workouts a little, so he volunteered to pull the boys in the trailer on the trail. It was really tough since both boys together are now about 90 lbs…and it’s a tight squeeze for the boys, too. After several instances of fighting and one hitting episode in the trailer, by the end of the ride Dave and I we so frustrated that we decreed that if Jake wants to join the family on any more bike rides, he has to supply his own transportation.
We started near Offutt AFB and rode towards the northwest into Papillion. I’d say we went about 10 miles total.
Afterwards, we joined our neighbors Steve and Alissa, who lives behind us, for a smoked brisket dinner, cupcakes for their daughter Dawn’s 4th birthday, and Penn State football on Pay-Per-View! ABC was nationally televising the PSU-Illinois game in part of the country, but here ABC was showing Nebraska-Virginia Tech. Go figure. Steve is a Michigan State grad, so we can all say “Let’s Go State!” together, no matter who! We had a nice time hanging out drinking beers (and Woodchuck Cider) with our new friends, while the kids played and watched videos in the basement.
On Sunday, the family slept in (anything past 7:30am is “sleeping in” for the boys). Mom and Dad weren’t out of bed till after 8am, and we wanted to be out the door by 9 for Sunday school! Yikes! We quickly dressed and had breakfast and were out the door for church about 5 minutes late. That’s okay…Jake’s Sunday school class started late today anyway.
After church we hit Home Depot for the supplies for Timmy’s R2-D2 Halloween costume. A small bullet garbage can, white, silver and royal blue spray paint (the trash can is this iridescent beige color) and some masking tape. More on the costume later this week as we get to work on it. Dave will need to cut the bottom out of the trash can, then we’ll have to craft some sort of suspenders out of white duct tape (left over from Jake-the-Astronaut from 2006). Timmy’s arms will be R2’s side legs.
This afternoon we had visitors from NORTH CAROLINA! Yes! Some friends from our church in Cary, Kathryn Vollmer and her sister Ruth Schwasinger, are in town this week and paid us a visit. To our knowledge, Kathryn’s and our Vollmer families aren’t related going back several generations. Her part of the family is from the midwest, ours is from Pennsylvania.
So Kathryn and Ruth are both U. of Nebraska graduates and next weekend is Ruth’s 50th reunion! So Kathryn and Ruth are here for about 1 1/2 weeks visiting friends and family, and next weekend they’ll get to enjoy (?) the Nebraska-Missouri football game. Since Missouri is ranked #4 this week…we’ll see.
Kathryn and Ruth stopped by for about 2 hours…they’re quite a pair. If you are a fan of the movie “A Room With A View”, Kathryn and Ruth remind me of the “Miss Allens”, “Catherine” and “Teresa”. Two older sisters who enjoyed life to the fullest, traveling and spending time with friends. We spent the time talking about a wide variety of topics: books, movies, the economy, and our recent travels.
(Side note: “A Room With a View” is my favorite movie in the universe, for those who didn’t know.)
Made steaks for dinner, and enjoyed a relaxing night of watching “The Amazing Race” (beekeepers?) and the final episode of “Feasting on Waves“.
I think I’ve officially recovered from this crazy busy week — I have 3 days of further catching up before I head to South Carolina for 4 days of work.
Timmy has recently started asking me to swaddle his favorite Webkinz, Thomas the Yellow Lab. I give him a nice tightly bundled Thomas right before bed every night and he cradles him like a baby.
So tonight I gave the boys a digital photo album tour of when they were swaddled as babies:
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| This is possibly the only picture I have of Jacob successfully swaddled. He couldn’t stand it! In a matter of minutes he’d wriggle out and arm or a leg. |
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| Timmy, on the other hand, LOVED it. Perhaps it’s because Timmy was born in January and it was a little chillier…yes, even in Florida. Both boys were born in Melbourne, FL. |
One of the bazillion differences between my two boys…enjoy!
At least for this week…
…and part of next week…
…and a teensy part of the following week.
After a 2 1/2 month hiatus, Monday was my first day of doing any reserve work. My first workday since we moved to Nebraska. I’m working every day this week here in the local area, telecommuting with my Reserve Unit I’m still assigned to in South Carolina.
So I’m sitting in an unoccupied office right downstairs from Dave’s cubicle.
Yes, I have an office…he has a cubicle.
No, not even. He has a desk in a large area. No walls. He’s okay without them…
Anyway, while it’s great to be back doing good stuff for the Air Force, this is Timmy’s indoctrination into a full-time child care center. We’re using one of Offutt Air Force Base’s child development centers, which is a top notch center…the military’s child care center standards are stricter than any of the 50 states, so you know it’s good! We will be able to use the center full time when I take my trip to the desert in January.
In North Carolina, Dave took time off to watch the kids or else one of my friends would watch the boys while I worked. When I worked in Norfolk, my Mom would watch one or both of the boys. Definitely one of the things I miss about living in the east.
Dave dropped off Timmy on Monday and when we picked him up 9 1/2 hours later, he wasted no time telling us what a great time he had. He was even okay with going back again Tuesday.
WOW!
So I got a bit cocky and figured I could drop off Timmy today. I walked him to his classroom (the Purple Room) and he went right over to the circle area where a teacher was reading a story. I said goodbye and walked right out. But then I forgot to leave Timmy’s backpack with his change of clothes. Without thinking I walked right back into the room — Timmy saw me and proclaimed that I can’t leave without him. And he ran over to my leg and made quite the scene.
Thankfully, the teachers were good about peeling him off me and diverting him so I could sneak out.
When I picked him up today, he again seemed okay. He showed me more artwork and talked about some friends he made.
As for Jacob, he’s enrolled in a before/after school care program run by his school. So he goes to school early each morning, and we pick him up at the school once we get home. Jake enjoys going to Kid’s Time with his classmates.
On top of the full time work this week and the full time child care, we still have soccer this week, and I’m still trying to keep the kids fed. Monday was absolutely nuts — I feel like all of my interaction with my boys on Monday was drill sergeant style:
“WAKE UP! TIME TO GET DRESSED!”
“BREAKFAST! WE’RE LEAVING IN SEVEN MINUTES!”
“YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES TO GET ON YOUR SHOES AND GET IN THE CAR!”
“JACOB, READ ME THESE TWO BOOKS FOR HOMEWORK!”
“YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO WOLF DOWN YOUR PIZZA BEFORE WE LEAVE FOR SOCCER!”
“BATHTIME! BRUSH YOUR TEETH! PAJAMAS! GOOD NIGHT!”
I was exhausted beyond recognition last night — I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow and didn’t feel a thing until my alarm clock went off this morning.
Tonight wasn’t quite like that — no soccer, for starters. I was able to make a nice baked chicken dinner for the family. I did some light house cleaning and caught up on bills. And wrote this blog.
PS: Late next week Dave goes solo — he has both kids and he’s still working, while I hop on a plane and fly to SC for 4 more days of work. I’m playing major catch-up on the workdays, I shouldn’t be required to work again until December after this stint…
Quote of the day from Timmy:
“Did Daddy become a weather doctor to help the weather feel better?”
He asked us this as we were walking through a parking lot in a foggy drizzle. He’d been cooped up indoors for the past 2 days and is ready for the weather to feel better.
Many of you probably didn’t realize that Timmy had a series of meltdowns every time he heard that his Daddy is now a doctor. Timmy tends to associate doctors with needles and funny lights being shined in his mouth, eyes, ears and didn’t want his Daddy to be doing stuff like that.
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