Gone Boy...

Chris has spent the better part of the last month "out in the field" conducting training exercises.  Peter innocently asked me a few days ago, "Where IS Daddy's field?" I imagine it is confusing to a 2 year-old when we mention that Daddy is in this elusive field... again.  We drove back home to NC this past Monday (after being up in DC to run the Army 10-Miler) and Chris went directly into work that afternoon.  He's still gone.  And tomorrow is his birthday.  Sigh.

I'm just whining because although we've certainly missed Daddy, we've had a good week.  Well... Peter did come down with a stomach bug on Tuesday but that's par for the course when the guys are gone.  Daddy in the field?  Gone to Afghanistan?  or Iraq? then everybody must come down with stomach bug, vomit on everything, and (just for good measure) maybe the washing machine will break.  ha!  It's in the Army manual.

Down for the count, poor baby.

Fortunately Peter was up and running by Wednesday and was able to go to school again.    Peter absolutely loves his teachers, Ms. Runk and Ms. Hickman, and all of his friends at preschool.  He asks every morning if he gets to go to school.  (He goes M-W-F from 9-12.)

Here Pete is about to walk into school...

One of the cute new tshirts Gigi
bought the boys from Red Envelope!

They've been doing lots of Halloween arts and crafts in Pete's class lately...

The 2 year old classroom is so happy and cheerful looking and the teachers do a great job of rotating activities and toys and "centers" so it's always new for the children...

In other news... Chris was very disappointed to miss James's last football game this morning.  The Redskins won, 12-0.  James learned so much and I'm glad he got the opportunity to practice playing as much as he did this season.

The boys and I are excited to bake Daddy's birthday cake and get ready to celebrate tomorrow... evening... since he isn't expected to come out of the field until dinnertime.  I am also volunteering tomorrow morning at Children's Church so fingers crossed that everyone is agreeable and kind in the morning so we show up happy and on time!

Yaaaay!

The Army Ten-Miler was a success!  This was Chris and my third time running the race together and I'm so very glad we did again this year.  We ran the ten miles in 1:26 (an 8.30 minute mile) which is pretty damn good, in my opinion!

One of the best parts about the ATM is that it's a reunion of sorts.  Chris and I saw lots of old friends but none more special than this one!  This was Allison's first race and, after two complete knee surgeries, she did a fantastic job!!  I am so proud of her...

My mom took the boys to Butler's Orchard to play and pick pumpkins while we were running.  They had a blast and ended up staying at the farm for over 5 hours!

What a perfect weekend!

ATM, here we come!!!

After school/ work today, we're driving up to DC to run the Army Ten-Miler and, of course, see our families. This will be the third time Chris and I will run it together.  We're looking forward to meeting up with several good friends after the race and, in particular, the Campions!!  I'll be back on Monday to let you know how it went.  Wish us all luck!

He rocked them!

Henry's first day of wearing his new glasses went well!

Not only was he 1) wearing his glasses off the bus, 2) they weren't broken but 3) when I asked him what his friends and teacher thought of the new specs, he said, "Anna said they're really cool."  Anna can do everything, by the way... "She can read all the words, color in the lines really well, and does everything the teacher says."  Someone has quite a crush on his new friend, Anna.

I paid $30 extra for the "Breakage Protection Plan" which I have a feeling will be money well spent.  The saleslady said, "How old is your son?" Upon hearing he was 5, she said, "Yeah.  This is almost mandatory."  

Any bets on when we cash in on the breakage plan?  ;)

Camping!!

This past weekend we went to Jordan Lake with the Palazzinis and the Adams family.  We had a blast! It was just cool enough to make everything enjoyable but not cold enough to complain.

This time Chris rented a double campsite directly on one of the "beach" parts of the lake which was awesome for the kids.  They were able to play and explore in the woods and then fish and jump in the lake whenever they wanted (which they did repeatedly despite the rather cool temps)!

Henry and one of the baby fish he caught!

Happy girl!

Gabby and Cort

Petey taking a ride with Mr. Jeff 

Notice the difference in
clothing choices :) 

The old married couple...

James and Nicolas fishing

The boys all LOVED being in the water.

Check out those muscles!!

 The other old married couple...

Happy James

Reading books at bedtime...

Henry found a few creepy crawly friends...

This funky, fuzzy catepillar
had lots of black and white "things" sticking out of it!?

The kids ate their fair share of junk food, which they loved...

Overall, it was a perfect weekend!

"We are never more fully alive, more completely ourselves, or more deeply engrossed in anything, than when we are at play."       -- Charles Schaefer

Dadisms...

"No good deed goes unpunished" I must have heard my father say 100 times growing up.  I never really understood it.

Until now.

At my insistence encouragement, our family has been going to church again.  We've been going nearly every Sunday for several months now so when the Children's Director stood up a few weeks ago and asked the congregation for volunteers I said, "Yes, I will help in the children's rooms during service one or two times a month."

And then when the Children's Director called me a few days later asking if I'd be a teacher in the classroom, I didn't hesitate.  "Yes, I will be a rotating teacher in the children's classroom one or two times a month."

And when she asked me to volunteer more like 2-3 times a month, I said, "Yes.  I will volunteer two or three times a month."

And when the Children's Director said I had to go to a mandatory training to teach 2-8 year olds, I said, "Yes, I will go and listen to you tell me how to talk with children" [when the better part of my LIFE has been teaching, helping, babysitting, and mothering children].

And when the Director calls regularly to ask me church-related questions, I do my best to answer and control the chaos around me and sound upbeat and excited to help out.  Because really I am.  I am happy to help out.  (Less excited about her regular phone calls, but happy to be a volunteer.)

But today???  Today when she called me WHILST I was helping and doing my part to be Godly/friendly/ neighborly babysitting the 3rd different child of the day (That's right.  I watched two of my friend, Summer's, children this morning from 7am-9am and then my neighbor's son, Tucker, from 12-3pm) to gingerly ask me where I was last Sunday (um... in the Red room, helping out as assigned) and went on to mention that next week she'd like to "meet with me after church to discuss my intentions because in the past they've had volunteers who weren't quite committed enough and she wanted to be sure I was," I about hung up on her.

Dad, you were so right.  NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED!!!

My little artist...

Over the weekend, Chris and I were sitting at the kitchen table talking and catching up since he'd been in Louisiana all week for work.  The big boys were outside playing with their buddies and Peter was... well?  We weren't quite sure.  We were (mostly) confident he was inside and quite frankly, we were enjoying the first few moments of quiet from him all day.

And then, after about ten minutes of silence, I panicked thinking of possibilities and had to find him.

There he was... in our bed (I was in the middle of changing the sheets) with black ball point pen ALL over his little legs (and later I found, his belly and arms too).  Doesn't he look so satisfied with his work?

Chris and I were speechless.  Because there's really nothing you can say to that except... "Wow.  Pete.  Just... wow.  You definitely keep life interesting."

Hand-me-down Pete...

Part of the upside? downside? of being the 3rd boy is that you get lots of hand-me-downs.  At this age, Peter still thinks ANYthing the big boys wear, play with, or otherwise glance at, is GOLD.  Their castaway bikes and scooters are no exception.

Watch Peter cruise around-- and do tricks with his leg-- on this two-wheel scooter!  Santa was going to bring him a 3-wheel one but clearly he's more advanced than that and can balance just as well as James and Henry on it.

And Gabby was kind enough to pass down her own hand-me-down bike to Peter.  He is beyond thrilled with riding a "big boy" bike and asks to ride it constantly lately.

My final School Counseling internship was with Bob Oakes, a former starting line backer for Penn State University.  I'll never forget what he told me... "The toughest football players I ever met were third sons.  They'd spent their lives trying to keep up with, and getting knocked around by, their two older brothers and were made for the sport it seemed."  

I can't help but think that Pete, nicknamed "Beef" by his Daddy, fits the saying.  I suppose time will tell...

Well, whaddya know...

After failing his eye exam again this year, it looks like a certain someone needs glasses!!

Henry and the opthamologist...

These aren't the glasses we selected (we haven't picked any yet) but we had fun trying some on!

In other health-related news, many of you may know that I have had trouble with hives for... oh, about the last 20 years.  Since college, I get bouts of hives that come and go.  I always dubbed them my "stress rash" and try to wish them away.  And for reasons unknown, they always do just go away again on their own.  Well, my current doctor suggested I go in for (food) allergy testing.  Turns out I'm allergic to eggs, corn, and WHEAT!  Huh.  Whaddya know??  I have a follow-up appointment next week so I'm sure I'll find out more information then.  In the meantime, I've been trying to steer clear of the obvious wheat choices but it seems like EVERYthing has wheat, corn, and/or eggs in it!

I guess that leaves me only one choice....

CHOCOLATE!  :)