The Boy's Hobbies

Well, I guess if the Colonel has a bunch of new hobbies, it's only fitting for the boy to have his own.

Here's a little bit of what my kiddo has been up to lately (besides developing his personality and adopting WAY too much of his mom's temper and impatience...oh boy!).


Sprinkler fun on those scorching Kansas summer days...


Learning how to fly the remote control helicopter (in the house!!)
The first official haircut! Kelly said he was the BEST first haircut she's ever done. I think it was b/c Daddy was holding him on his lap.


100 degree days caused us to break out the new sprinkle pool for the backyard. Thank goodness we have big shade trees to sit under!!


And his newest thing, closing himself in the pantry so he can watch the light go on and off. Apparently, he's not afraid of the dark!!

The Colonel's New Hobby

I think my husband is going through a mid life crisis. He's given up golf (apparently, he's a horrible player now). He's given up his trains (he's done all he can w/ the space he has, or so he says). And he's on to something new...

Remote controlled airplanes! His first venture is a mini stealth bomber. But, he has his eye on several others, as well as an RC boat. Oh boy. We're in trouble.

Tonight we went out as a family to try out the plane. It's just made of foam so we have to make sure it's not windy. And, HELLO, we live in Kansas...it's very rarely ever NOT windy. But, tonight it was calm, so off to the park we went.

It was so fun to watch him fly the bomber around. Of course, Lil Major loved it, too, and when he wasn't picking dandelions and trying to eat them, he was watching his daddy intently.

So much

Life has been pretty busy lately. I can't even imagine what it would be like if I was working full time. Well, I DID work full time for a couple weeks when I was doing Census work and my YMCA job. I've been neglecting my blog...big surprise. I'm still reading everyone else's blogs, I just don't comment as frequently and I, obviously, haven't been posting on mine.

So, what has kept me so busy?? Let's see...

I finished my work w/ the U.S. Census. Let's just say it was an experience. The pay was crap, but probably pretty good for these parts. I was supposed to knock on every single door and give a little spiel about why I was standing on their property. I got to the point where I knocked as softly as humanly possible so that I wouldn't have to talk to anyone. I did meet some nice and friendly people...including one lady who grew up in San Luis Obispo (I had my Cal Poly Engineering sweatshirt on)...we ended up talking for an hour and they showed me how they make wine and I even left with a bottle of wine. I was technically (as far as YOU know) off the clock when I accepted the bottle of wine. Ha! =)

We had a surprise 65th birthday party for my MIL, and we even got my SIL to fly in from TX for it...she had a terrible ride in, was diverted to another city, and got here 4 hours late...but she finally got here. And we had a BLAST at the party...MIL was VERY surprised!



I'm still working for the YMCA as a group exercise coordinator, and I finally taught my own class this week. I'm just subbing for one of my instructors who's busy for the summer. It was a lot of fun, even though I had to yell b/c I'm an idiot and couldn't figure out how to work the mic.

I met w/ 3 friends and our gaggle of boys (7 boys between the 4 of us + 2 girls) yesterday. We're making our own Mom's Day Out program for the fall. We'll pair up and watch ALL the kids (probably only 5 at a time) one day a week, so that every other week we have a day to ourselves. My mom gave me the idea, she did this with a friend when we were kids. I'm so excited! We'll start in August.

Mom and I are taking the boy and heading to Dallas next week. We'll stay with our next door neighbor from YEARS ago. I'm so excited to see her and her boys! It's been a couple years since I've hung out with her. And it will be so nice to get out of Dodge (er, Wichita) for a few days. When we get back then I only have a week and a half until we head south to OKC for our annual family reunion and a small family vacation. Again, woo hoo! Different scenery...even if OK isn't that different from KS.

AND, one more trip (so far) coming up this summer -- a very LONG drive to Indy to visit my sister and her family. That will be a longer trip and I'm looking forward to relaxing, seeing a new Buddy baby, and maybe seeing some other friends I haven't seen in way too long.

All that, and my boy is 14 months old today. So crazy! He is growing (size 5 shoes now!) and changing every day. He says Mama, car, uh oh, Dada, up, and a bunch of other stuff I can't understand. He climbs over and under stuff, tries to climb out of the bathtub, and practices getting on an off his car toy like it's a motorcycle. He goes crazy when his daddy comes home, and he LOVES to play with the RC Hummers w/ The Colonel. He is ALL boy, he never stops moving, but he still snuggles and gives his mama kisses. I love him more and more every day - and somehow that's possible. =) He loves to be outside and swinging in the park is a favorite. He finally started noticing the animals at the zoo. Oh, and I totally see his daddy's personality in him. He's wild and fun and animated when he's at home or with someone he loves and knows well. But he clams up and just watches when he's in a big group of kids. SO The Colonel!

We head to the pediatrician on Monday for his 14 month check and all of his shots. This is the round I'm nervous about...the one that some thing causes Autism. Pray for Lil Major and for Mama on Monday! No complications...no side effects...all is well...healthy baby boy!

Got Milk?

My 13 Month Old!

I'm pretty sure that my boy just turned ONE yesterday...so how is it possible that he's 13 months old today??? Time just flies!

Jenn posted super cute video of her daughter walking for the first time, and it made me realize that I'd never even taken any video of Lil Major walking. So, I had to fix that. He started taking steps at about 11 months, but he didn't really start walking more than crawling until a couple weeks ago. Now, he obviously prefers walking to crawling. My little boy is growing up...already!

Treats at my Door

My good bloggy friend Jody made my day today!! I can't remember how Jody and I "met." It may have been through another blogger friend, who I also can't remember how we met. But, as we've gotten to know each other through facebook and reading each other's blogs, we've come to realize that we have a lot in common - politics, faith, and a love for Ireland which includes a love for Bulmers, aka Magners (a YUMMY Irish cider).

So, when Jody recently spent some time on the East coast where you can actually buy Magners, I licked my lips and thought how I would LOVE some of that for myself. And you know what she did??? She carted some all the way home to middle America, AND THEN she sent some to me!! What a friend! A friend who I've been longing to meet in person, but it just hasn't happened yet. Some day...some day!

Playing Catch Up

Time just flies by. I can't keep up with what day it is or what I need to do. I totally spaced on Bible study last night, and didn't make it at all. And that was after I spent an hour crashing to finish my study that I hadn't kept up with all week.

Why am I so busy??

Well, because I went from being a stay at home mom to a mom with 2 part time jobs (where one is full time if I want it)...and I have a one year old running all over the place, too. And I want to go to the zoo and to the gym and out for coffee with the girls and I have a pair of pants in my car that need to be exchanged at the mall, but I can't seem to make it to the mall EVER. And my house is a disaster and my fully stocked pantry is starting to dwindle and it's GORGEOUS outside, but I haven't much noticed.

Oh, and the kicker?? My Bible study is all about how to make sure your priorities are right...guess I shouldn't have skipped out last night. =)

So, what are my jobs? I went through training recently to become an aerobics instructor, and at the end of that training, I heard about a job opening at the downtown YMCA as the group exercise coordinator. It's a position that I always thought sounded fun, but it came up at the perfect time. It requires organization and management and passion - all things that I definitely have. It pays crap, it's at the only branch in town that doesn't have child care, and it's a 20 minute drive from town, and it's definitely challenging...but I think it's going to be fun. It's supposed to be 10 hours/week, but with phone calls and emails from home, it's a lot more than that.

The second job is a top secret government agent. =) That's partly true, actually. I'm working for the census bureau to prepare for next year's census. Mom and I are both doing it. It's a temporary job for 8 weeks, and then we may be rehired for further assignments in a few months. You can work up to 40 hours/week, but they want you to work at least 30. I'm struggling to get in 20 hours. I'm wondering why I thought I could do both of these. Poor Lil Major is spending lots of time in his stroller walking around neighborhoods with me. He likes it for the most part b/c the weather has been so nice.

So, I'm working and working and working some more. I'm NOT getting to the zoo or to the swings at the park or to the mall to return my pants or to my bathroom to scrub the scum away. And the thought has passed through my mind that if I was still working as an engineer, I'd be working 40 hours/week and making about 4 times as much. Of course, my schedule is completely my own and I make it up as I go. I suppose it's only temporary.

As a reward for listening to me rant and rave, here are some pictures of my super cute boy. First up is Lil Major in his (or at least Mommy's) favorite shirt that his little friend gave him. Thanks Shell and Baby!!


We LOVE the "Cow" Poly socks!

This smile is for you, Baby!

We had a nice Easter, although it was freezing cold and raining. There were no egg hunts or big Easter baskets. Just some candy and strawberry shortcake. The Colonel bbq'd chicken for us in the cold and rain, and we just hung out. But, I did get some cute pictures of my boy...



My child has curly hair like his daddy. But it only shows up when his hair is wet, so i had to document...after I ruffled it up to stand straight up!



Now that spring is here (FINALLY!), The Colonel has been forced to break out the lawnmower again. So, the other day we introduced Lil Major to it...







After all that work, it was time for a relaxing swing...


We're enjoying any time we get to play, and I'm so enjoying watching my little man grow and change and learn. I'm so thankful for my time with him!