"Worms in Dirt"

I had seen this fun idea in Family Fun magazine -a favorite if you are looking for fun ideas to do with kids- and since Grant has been extra picky (i.e. stubborn) recently, I decided to try it as a fun way of introducing new things even though its his old standbys...

You just cut up a hot dog, stick raw spaghetti noodles through -his favorite part- then boil as per box directions. [A little caution that the noodles cool off a lot faster then the hot dog] Verdict: HE LOVED THEM. He said the noodles looked like worms, so when I asked him to name the dinner- so I know what to call it when I suggest it again- he said "Worms crawling through dirt"

Standing Tall

Look who decided to try pulling up to standing up today...

Look out World! Here comes Carter!!

Our Easter: Sneak Peek

Out of the Mouth of Babes...

Grant hit me with a zinger today...

We were talking about Easter and asking him the real reason behind it and he said

"we celebrate Easter because Jesus is in heaven with God.... and Grandpa"

tears filled my eyes and I caught by breath before smiling back at him and said "you are exactly right" when he added "yep, they having a party"

I love this kid

and Jesus

and God

and Grandpa!

Just Keep Swimming

In anticipation of a summer at the lake, Grant has started taking swim lessons at the local HealthPlex.

He's getting better but won't put his face in the water... makes for some interesting lessons~

“When life gets you down, you know whatcha got do? Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming swimming swimming.” -Finding Nemo

Crazy D-day

now that its over I can officially say that Deployment day has come and gone, the plane arrived "over there" about 4 hours ago and we can start the count up

(its a count up because we don't actually have an end date so we'll just be counting the days that we've survived)

the day started with some cinnamon rolls, I probably should have let Grant eat them before I changed his clothes because icing got EVERYWHERE, then we hit some last minute packing, run to Wal*Mart for a receipt folder and then over to his work to meet up with his team. the boys and I were able to drop him at the airport at 11 and he was luckily able to make it on an earlier flight to Atlanta. we came home, had lunch, took naps and tried to relax but then the storms came. BAD STORMS. tornados all around us, gully washers ripping through, and no power. The boys and I stayed in the living room playing, ate Sticky (i.e. Peanut Butter) Sandwiches for dinner and tried to act as if everything were normal. The power finally came on after 3 hours which is lucky, Ft. Bragg is still without power this morning!

Geoff just called! woowho. he got a local cell phone but informed me the everything is closed on Sundays so they are just hanging out in their room (they change locations tomorrow)

So thats it for our update, just plugging and chugging, trying to get through the day with a smile or two along the way!

Then VS Now

GRANT, May 2008, in Daddy's tuff box

CARTER, April 2011, in the same tuff box:

Political Rant

I try to stay pretty neutral, family friendly and all that jazz on here but today I am just so pissed and frustrated at the state of the country and the world that its hard for me to ignore it.

I know not everyone is political so here is a brief update.... Congress is stuck in gridlock regarding the budget and because of that the government is facing a shutdown starting TOMORROW. That means our military (as well as many other federal employees) will NOT GET PAID. I get sick to my stomach just thinking about... Geoff is set to deploy and you want it to be on an "I O U": sorry folks, mortgages can't get paid with an IOU.

To paraphrase Valentine "Dear Congress- Time to put on your big kid panties and do your job!"

Heres a video:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/government-shutdown-tax-refund-delay-13316675

and some other articles:

http://blogs.abcnews.com/thenote/2011/04/the-note-deal-or-no-deal-shutdown-showdown-down-to-the-wire-.html

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/POLITICS/04/04/government.shutdown.military/index.html

http://thehill.com/homenews/news/153535-the-politics-of-acting-responsibly-in-case-there-is-a-shutdown

and specifically for the military:

http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=14393

Headache Awaits

...the sounds of our afternoon!

D for Distruction

When he went down for his nap, the room was clean, all the toys were put away, and the bed was made...

and for your tooth viewing pleasure, presenting Carter's first chomper

Some 'Spiraments

Nothing says a fun Sunday like some science experiments in the garage! (Grant translation: Spiraments)

Uncle Brian gave him a science kit for Christmas, complete with safety goggles (Grant translation: Wobble Goggles- a la the Imagination Movers)

His favorite was the vinegar and baking soda volcano (Grant translation: VAL-CANE-OOOOO that 'sploaded)

...it was so much fun, he snuck out after his bath and wanted to do more right before bed