AGH! Where DOES the time go?

I've really been lax at taking pictures - I apologize. I swear time is just flying by! Here, we're half way through March already and I'm not sure how!

Let's see, we've been busy but nothing really earth shattering. We've been calling the poor folks at housing in Ft. Bliss trying to get a true picture of what's what there. We're now checking our options off post. We're not convinced that's the way to go, but figure we'd better at least check into it. There is something to be said for having the commissary and PX close by...

Jake is doing really well in school! We're looking into a 5 day program for him at Fort Bliss. How is it possible that he'll be in Pre-K already? He'll be 4 in a few short weeks and reminds me daily of that fact. We booked his party at the bowling alley. I chuckle to myself everytime I say that - he's never been bowling and yet he's thrilled to death to have a party there. I know, I need to take him. As it turns out, I got a gift certificate to go for family night - perhaps over spring break...

Nick is smart as a whip and doesn't miss anything either. He's a master at climbing out of his crib. He only does it at nap time, so I haven't felt compelled to convert his bed to a toddler bed yet. I like to think being in a crib is a mild deterrent when he's still waking up. He's getting switched to the big boy car seat today!

They both have GREAT imaginations and enter each others' fantasies pretty regularly. Jake recently told me that he was too big for Elmo and his Elmo stuff should go to Nick. When you get the both of them together...ya gotta watch them. They'll either play really well together and get into some innocent trouble...or they tackle each other and the take-down can be pretty hard.

This morning, I was in the kitchen talking to our good friend Kari (who took our pictures last fall...). I knew I had the chain on the door. I heard the front door close. So I told Kari to hold on and I went to investigate. No boys and the chain on the door was swinging. A quick cursory glance as I was dodging toys and hurrying to the door told me they had emptied one of our toy bins, turned it upside down, removed the chain themselves and had gone out front - all because there were fire trucks parked out front. No fire men, so sirens...just the trucks. They didn't get all the way out front - just the shared entry for our side of the building. AGH! Kari, always ready to offer encouragement: "you don't have to worry about their intelligence OR their creativity" I used to find Logan outside quite often when we lived across the street in Killeen.

Jake then went in the back to go potty (we're ALMOST there...hopefully by the time we move...). Well, then I heard the dryer door close. I had towels in the dryer, but I could only imagine what he was up to. He came out completely dressed - in a pair of jeans from the clean clothes (waiting to be folded pile) and a shirt (new - short-sleeved) out of the hamper. I got a kick out the fact that the t-shirt said "Here comes Trouble"

Tomorrow we head East for a couple of days. Matt has a presentation in the 6th Grade Class at Holy Angels. We'll stay with Pawpaw in Indy on Saturday and Monday, we'll be in Sidney on Sunday and then back home on Tuesday. Quick trip, but we're hoping to get some clearing out and organizing done for the yard sale and moving when we get back.

I'll try to remember to charge the camera battery...

Hope you are all well. I'll try to do better about updating! :)


Love
Chris

It's official

Orders are in and we’re still going to Fort Bliss! I love it when it’s what you’re prepared for!

We are going as a family. After some pondering, it really didn’t make much sense to live apart – no matter how badly I want to be back in Central TX. When it’s right, it will happen, I know.

I’m going to go hope for some hot (but will settle for warm) water with which to take a shower…

One of the BEST nights!

The boys and I had the GREATEST time tonight! It ranks pretty high up on the “best nights list”!

Matt had a dinner with the German Exchange Students – part of the program in which he participated in November/December. So the boys & I went to see Playhouse Disney Live in Independence, MO. I didn’t tell them what we were doing until after nap time because the weather was threatening to snow and previous experience said to hold off.

We got in the car after nap and started our trek. When we got there, they pointed out ALL of the characters on the table skirts of the vendors and any where they saw the pictures. We grabbed hot dogs and had dinner (I know, it was a Friday, but my options were limited after we got stuck in traffic in KC…). We got some popcorn and drinks and headed to our seats.

Luckily it was a short time before there was entertainment. The show really tried hard at crowd participation. Jake did well; Nick had to observe for a while first.

We saw: Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, Cinderella, Woody, Buzz, Jesse & the soldiers from Toy story. Every time the boys saw one of the characters, they got so excited. At the intermission, we finally broke down and got a Stuffed Woody for Nick and a stuffed Buzz for Jake. They both fell asleep with their respective toys tucked in their arms in the car. I haven’t peeked, yet but I’m sure they fell asleep like that in their beds, too!

They were really well behaved and had a BLAST! We talked about it almost all the way home until they started drifting off to dream land. Daddy was home when we got home, so he got a recap with the last of the energy the boys had mustered. It truly was one of the best nights I’ve had with just the boys.