Halloween Host & Hostess

There was plenty we could have taken part in on halloween night, but I decided we would probably enjoy it more if we just stayed home and passed out our treats. Since I had originally planned on going to a trunk-or-treat on base, we loaded up this morning to buy our treats. Luke thought it was pretty fun to fill his bucket with the treats & get them ready to hand out. When trick-or-treat time actually came around, he was so excited. He stood at the door for a few minutes just whining a bit. He could see people coming, but I think he thought maybe they weren't going to come. There were even a few times when he stood with the door partially open waving his treats out the door. Maybe he was trying to lure them in our direction. We did have a fair amount of visitors. We shut down our operation after just about an hour. We were nearly out of treats & it was time to get Luke & Hannah ready for bed. I think Luke did have more fun tonight giving away his treats.

By the way, I think Hannah knows what waving bye-bye means now. She did it at least once tonight that I noticed, but I think she's been working on it for a few days now.

Happy Halloween

Here are my little trick-or-treaters. Tonight, was the Family Festival at our church. I decided to get the kids all decked out in their costumes and take part in the festivities. As I've mentioned before, Luke doesn't like anything that is different. So, when I put this football jersey on him, he didn't want anything to do with it. That's why he still has his jeans on. I knew there was no way he was going to let me change those. Plus, I wanted this to be a fun evening for him. Before I go any further, I have to say I apologize to all you Colts fans out there. I even felt bad about him sporting 49er's gear (but it was cheap!). Maybe that's why Luke was so upset. Anyway, I digress. Hannah didn't really care what she was wearing. Her little ladybug hat did fall over her eyes on the way there and she figured out that she could easily pull it off.

The kids do okay at festivals like this, but are still a little young to really get into the games and activities. They do enjoy people watching, though. We ate a funnel cake while we were there. I thought it was a bit funny because I bought it as a treat for us (Luke & me). However, when we went to eat it, he ate maybe 2-3 bites, but was much more interested in the Teddy Grahams that he's gotten at one of the game booths. Oh well, I guess I should be thankful that he likes the more healthy stuff. Plus, I was glad they even had some of that as options. By far, the most favorite attraction for both Luke & Hannah was a little train that they had going through a course in the parking lot. Luke just smiled the whole time & said choo-choo occasionally. Hannah even looked like she was waving at the people. It was good to get out of the house & expose my kids to another new experience.

Monkey in the Making Part 2

Hannah climbed up on this step all by herself the other day. I actually thought she might go for the top step. Thankfully, she didn't make it. Her Daddy was found on top of a woodpile when he was about twice her age. I should be thankful that we don't have a woodpile, but we might just have something just as big. Hopefully, she won't be that creative in the climbing department.

Wrapped and Covered

Tonight was a special evening for me. The ladies from the small group that Chris & I have been attending got together at our house (I love to have people in our home!) to spend time together, but also with a purpose. Let me back up just a bit. There is a lady in our area who has a 3 year old little boy who weighed just over a pound when he was born. Needless to say, he was hospitalized for quite awhile afterwards and I think he even had to have open heart surgery at one point. Today, he is a happy, healthy & energetic little boy. During their hospital stay, they were given a blanket that deeply touched his mother. So, as an expression of her thankfulness and as a ministry to others, she has started her own ministry called "Wrapped and Covered". Every other month, she takes blankets that have been made to the local children's hospital. These blankets are also prayed over before giving them to families.

Tonight, the ladies got together to make fleece blankets (the kind that you knot together). It was good to get to know the ladies in another setting, but when they left I felt like our evening actually had a purpose. I was very thankful to be a part of the evening.

Fall Fest

It seems like it is the season for Fall Fests and it seems like the part of the country we are in have quite a few. Today, was the first one we attended. There is a catholic church not far from our home. It was a beautiful day so I decided to take the kids over there. They had vendors, arts/crafts, yard sale, kid games and a fire truck. We spent part of it just wandering around to see what there was to see. We eventually made it to a trackless train (I think that's what they called it). It was a train, but didn't run on a track. Luke thought that was pretty neat so we all took a spin on that. We then headed over to the fire truck. Luke watched them extend their ladder for awhile. Then I found the bouncy kid toys that were more for Luke's age. He really wasn't into them. We did find one that he wanted to try, but he didn't want to take his shoes off. So instead of that, we went to find something to eat & tried it when we got back. He was a lot more into them at that point & he even let me take his shoes off. Our very last stop was back at the fire truck. This time they had it opened & we could sit in it if we wanted. Luke loves big trucks, but when he actually gets the chance to be in them, he's not so sure. The fireman even said he could sit in his seat, but he didn't want anything to do about it. We looked inside & he was quite content just to look and ride around the truck in his stroller. Not to leave Hannah out, she was quite content just to ride in the stroller and spend her day people watching.

My Wounded Child

Hannah suffered her first official injury today. Much to my dismay, I have to say I caused it. Earlier this morning, I had noticed that she had started pulling herself up on things that you couldn't really hold onto such as doors. This morning I saw her do this when she was on the inside & I was outside coming in. It was simple to slightly & slowly open the door so I could grab her and she not fall. However, later in morning, I was sweeping the sidewalk & decided to run in for just a minute. It was the same scenerio - Hannah on the inside watching me sweep on the outside. I swung the door open not thinking that Hannah would be there. I didn't even see her fall, but heard the thud. I was so sorry to see what I'd done to her. She actually looks more unscathed than I thought she might. I'm thankful for that & I'll need to be more watchful of the doors!

New Set of Wheels

Luke & Hannah got a new way of getting around today. I finally gave in and got a double stroller now that Hannah is 9 months old. Up until now, I did one of the following: Luke walked & I carried Hannah; Luke rode in our singe stroller & I carried Hannah in our baby carrier or I lowered the seat in our single stroller & put both kids in there. The later didn't always work & I know it probably wasn't the safest. So, it had been on the back of my mind for a little while that maybe someday we might have to get one, but the other day was the last straw. Luke & Hannah were both riding in our single stroller and Hannah nearly climbed out of it several times. I was quite scared she was going to fall out since she would stand up sometimes while in motion. I ended up caring her & pushing Luke with one hand. Yes, it was quite funny & it looked quite uncoordinated I'm sure. So, after Luke & I put this together this morning, we had to try it out. After Hannah got up from her nap, we took it for a loop around the neighborhood. We were in love with it. It seemed to work well & the kids enjoyed riding. Luke was so excited about it that I found him just sitting in it looking at a book after we'd put it together.

By the way, I think I may have gotten this in record time. I ordered it Tuesday afternoon & got it this morning. I was thrilled to be able to put it to good use so soon.

The Wal-Mart Experience

It was that time that I don't really look forward to. We needed to get the oil changed in the van. So, I loaded up the kids along with my list and headed to the store. Now, I can't say that this is my favorite store, but I can usually leave with my mission accomplished. My first stop is the tire & lube EXPRESS (at least that is what the sign says). I get there about a half hour after it opens. When I inquired as to approximately how long the wait was, he said there were three others in front of me so it would be about an hour and a half. Those weren't exactly the words that this mom wanted to hear. It seems like when I go by myself with the kids, I have an extended wait. However, when Chris is with me, the wait is short. Anyway, you guessed it. I had the kids today. Now, I can't help but think, is this a marketing ploy? The longer the wait I have, the more I'm likely to buy. Well, the man was true to his word. It was nearly an hour and half to the minute when the car was finished. We walked around the store for most of that time. I did have a few things I needed. However, I did end up buying a few things that I was going to get somewhere else where they were cheaper, but since I had to spend all my time at Wal-Mart, I just got them there (yes, I think their marketing worked!). We also looked at a lot of trucks in the toy aisle. That was about all the Wal-Mart I could take this morning so we ended up sitting in the tire & lube center for the last 15 minutes or so. The kids did pretty good considering Hannah desperately wanted to take a nap. I have to say, though, that snacks a great thing to keep in my bag. And, yes, I'm sure I'll head back to one of my not so favorite stores in the near future because they do have nearly everything. As a side note, there is a store in the VeggieTale show "Madam Blueberry" called the "Stuff Mart". I think this might be a more appropriate name for this store.

Cheerios

I have to give a great big cheer to whoever invented Cheerios. Both of my kids have just loved them when they were in the 9 month range or so. Hannah has just found that she loves these tasty treats. It was a bit funny tonight, though. Hannah was having a snack of Cheerios when she found out they were all gone (I think Luke helped her a bit). I had just left the box on the table. The next thing I know, Luke is dumping the box out onto her tray. Thankfully, the box was no more than half full & he didn't get them all out. I think it was sweet that he wanted to make sure Hannah had more, but I also think he might have wanted some more of that very fun treat!

Monkey in the Making

We were enjoying a relaxing Sunday afternoon (that's why she only has a diaper & no pants) when Hannah found a new stunt. She decided she could climb onto this table all by herself. She's somewhat sitting down here, but she would also hold onto the sides and stand up. Yes, it scared me. Anyway, I guess it didn't really surprise me when she succeeded in her attempts. I had noticed for the past several days that she'd been trying to lift her leg high to try to climb into or onto something. Climbing into the tub is of particular interest to her, but at this moment she is unsuccessful since her knees don't even come half way up the side of it. I think she may have gotten these climbing quality from her Daddy.

Black Knights - Out Front!

Chris is a Black Knight (OK, he's actually my knight in shining armor, but for military reasons, he's a Black Knight). Last night, Chris & I attended a formal dinner for the Black Knights celebrating their 80th birthday. So, here's just a brief version of some history. The Black Knights is the oldest Air Force group today. The Air Force wasn't established until 1947 so this group existed when the Air Force existed as the Air Corp under the Army. The dinner last night was kind of a reunion of sorts for anyone that had served with this group. For me, it was an opportunity to meet some of the guys that Chris works with on a daily basis. It was a nice event, a good learning experience and a date for us. Chris is actually kind of the last of a breed. In June 2008, the Black Knights will no longer exist (yes, we have another move next year) unless they reorganize as another group. Chris was the last pilot brought here to serve as a Black Knight.

Uneventful Saturday?

Today was supposed to be a day of pure relaxation. There really isn't anything on the schedule & we were just going to enjoy being together & hanging out. We've been able to do that, but we've had a couple of out of the ordinary events. The day began when I went to get Luke & Hannah up this morning. Unfortunately, my first words weren't, "Good Morning, Babies!". Instead, it was, "What happened in here?" Without too many details, let's just say that my sweet baby girl wasn't so sweet this morning. It was everywhere in her corner of the room. I will leave the rest up to your imagination. When lunch time came around, Luke pulled a chair up to the sink. Anytime that I work in the kitchen lately, he wants to join me there. He usually plays & I work. Sometimes he also wants to help "stir" something. Anyway, today he was playing in the water (yes, today is the last day for that). I was kind of watching him, but also talking to Chris & distracted with the quick lunch preparation. When I looked at Luke, he had pulled the sprayer out of the hole a bit, turned the faucet to be directly over the hole & the water was on full blast going down the hole directly into the cabinet below. We quickly turned the water off & looked down. The water was already coming out of the cabinet. Thankfully, Chris was home so we made quick work of that clean-up as well. I guess lessoned learned for us as well!

Miracle Toy

I don't know about all of you, but I always want to get a toy for my kids & then have them play with it for quite awhile. They are so expensive so they should play with it for awhile. Anyway, I have to admit at times that I find a neat toy for a good, decent price & then can't help be a bit disappointed when it only gets played with for 30 minutes the first day & only occasionally thereafter. Anyway . . . for Luke's 2nd birthday (& probably Christmas too) we got Luke a train table. Of course, I found it on the clearance shelf because they were bringing out the new models just in time for Christmas. It doesn't really matter which model it is. Anyway, I've digressed again. This particular one had a 115+ train set to go with the table. We just now put it together because we thought Luke got plenty of gifts on his actual birthday & now this is something new. He loves it. We had to go to the grocery store this morning & I actually had to prod him a little to get him out the door. He's never like that. He's usually leading the pack to the door. It has occupied him for at least a couple of hours already & I don't even have all the pieces out for him (I thought some of them were a little small for Hannah, but the important ones are out) I have to say that I even think that it's a pretty cool toy. There is only one thing that needs fixed. The main engine is battery powered & can pull a few cars. However, it doesn't have an off switch. It runs for 30 seconds if you don't mess with it. That's a long for a 2 year old not to mess with something he loves. So, it constantly runs - or so it seems. I think Daddy is going to have to take a look at that piece. All of that to say, Luke loves it!

Break Through?

I think I may have mentioned on here that we've been working to potty train Luke. Yes, he figured most of it out on his own I feel. He still has an accident occasionally, but I'm happy to say that he is no longer contributing to the depletion of our diaper budget. (that is a huge HOORAY!) We do still have one major hurdle and that is getting him to go when we are out & about -- that includes shopping, at someone else's home or at church. He will tell he us he has to go, but when it gets down to going, he won't go & there is weeping & gnashing of teeth (ok, maybe it's not that bad, but there are a lot of tears & "no-no-no" being said). We may have had a break through, though. He's gone a couple of times for me now in public & I think it's because I've resorted to bribery. He still cries, but he will go & be happy to get the cookie when it's all over. We'll see if it continues. The big test will be in the nursery today. I guess one day he'll figure it out. I don't see any adults having this issue.

Tags

Hannah loves her soft stuffed animals. She also usually prefers the little ones. Anyway, we usually give her one when she takes a nap & goes to bed at night. She definitely prefers this little green frog with a 3M t-shirt (thanks Grandpa Snow!) Not only does she like the softness, but she absolutely LOVES chewing on the tags. When you give her her naptime animal, she promptly turns it over & begins chewing on the tag. Today, she was trying to chew on the tag of her bib. I also just saw her holding a little pig stuffed animal by its tag. So, now I think it's a combo of reasons why she likes stuffed animals - the softness & the comfort of chewing on the tag.

This is What You Do With Stickers

Like most 2 years olds, Luke enjoys stickers. I think it's kind of funny, though, that he thinks that they all go on his shirt. Actually, I'm thankful that he puts them there & not other places like my walls where they may not come off or on Hannah who might try to eat them. Here he is posing with some stickers that he got for his birthday.

Like Father, Like Son

It doesn't take long for anyone who knows Luke that he is a Daddy's boy. There isn't too much that Chris likes that you won't soon fine Luke attempting as well. Here is just instance. They both love to have their drinks -- Luke prefers milk or juice & Chris prefers something with sugar & flavor. They are also getting caught up on the latest technology report - probably CNET Buzz Outloud. I wonder if Luke can even hear anything!

Georgia National Fair

Today we (the Robeys along with my parents) had a very fun day at the Georgia National Fair. It was a beautiful day, sunny & in the very low 80s with a slight breeze - perfect! Probably one of the favorites was the first thing we did - go & see the animals. The chicks were a big hit. Luke wasn't so sure, but did touch most of the animals that we could. The bigger they were, the less likely he was to touch them. Hannah enjoyed looking at all the animals. I think that she's watching all the baby chicks on display when she was touching the one below.




The "big trucks" still remained a big hit to Luke. He loves to sit in the driver's seat, but is also quite content to play the role of passenger. He even liked running around in the bed of one of them. He could have spent all day with the trucks.



We all had a fun day. Chris & I even found the elusive elephant ears & of course, had to eat this tasty treat. (For those of you in Indiana, we've found that not all parts of the country have elephant ears & there are several people that haven't heard of them. If you don't know what it is, it's fried, flattened dough with melted butter & cinnamon/sugar sprinkled on top. Of course, not one ounce of it is healthy, but it does taste good!) By the end of the day, we were all tired, but happy that we'd gotten to spend the day together.

Daddy's Plane

We have the privilege of having my parents visit this week. As part of their visit, they wanted to see Chris fly. So, the schedule worked out perfect for this to happen. Last night was absolutely a perfectly beautiful evening. We went to the base & we were able to see Chris take off. I tried to explain to Luke that Daddy was flying the plane. I don't know if he's made the connection, but he certainly watched Chris's plane as first, it's nose lifted off and eventually the plane was in the air. It was neat to see him fly. I've had this privilege before & I think it's something that I definitely need to do more often.

Out After 8 pm

I guess we've become kind of home bodies in the evenings since we have little ones in the house. However, the last couple of nights have been an exception to the rule.

Last night, we went to see Tops in Blue. They're an elite Air Force music ensemble that sings/plays music through the decades with dancing followed by a patriotic segment. They tour nearly all the Air Force bases in a year (rather daunting task in my opinion). It's rather entertaining & very family friendly, not to mention free. Anyway, we took the kids last night. Luke thought it was pretty neat & was quite content to sit on Daddy's lap for most of the evening & watch. Hannah sat on my lap for about 1/3 of the concert rocking, smiling and clapping her hands. She really liked it. I think the transition segments were a bit boring to her so then she got interested in watching a little boy about twice Luke's age that captured her attention for nearly the rest of the time.

Tonight, we went and had dinner with our friends here that were our neighbors at Vance AFB. They just bought a home so we went to check it out & enjoyed a really good meal. The evening was the perfect temperature so we then ventured out for ice cream. I know some of you might find this hard to believe, but it had been a long time since we'd done this. It was quite yummy & Luke thought it was really good (he looked like a little bird). Anyway, he's trying to work off the sugar high now as I write this.

We had a fun two days. Now, if only they'll sleep in in the morning . . .

Phone Update

Yeah! I have really, really good news. My phone is now working perfectly fine. It doesn't even act the least little bit like it went through the wash cycle. Chris didn't really do anything to it. He messed with it, a few prayers were said & it dried out. I'm just thankful that it is now working. I wouldn't suggest any of you trying this in the future.

That's What It's All About

Luke is beginning to enjoy action songs and rhymes. This week the two of us played Ring Around the Rosy until I was dizzy. OK, it didn't take long, but you probably get the point. He was even helping me get up after we "all fall down". Anyway, yesterday, he thought "The Hokey Pokey" was a pretty fun song. Now, I've always thought of the this tune as a bit "hokey" for the lack of a better word and one that I associate with skating rinks. However, Luke was all smiles. So, tonight, all four of us danced to the "Hokey Pokey". It was fun watching everyone (even Hannah as she rode on my hip) smile, dance & have fun together.

That is what it is all about - yes, it's a silly, silly song, but it made for a good quality time moment for our family. I just need to work on remembering to take the time to enjoy each of these moments. In fact, writing this blog reminded me of a poem that a friend in Oklahoma gave me shortly after Luke was born to remind me of what is truly important (Thanks, Cathy!).

Excuse This House

Some houses hide the fact that children live there,
Ours boasts of it quite openly, the signs are everywhere.
For smears are on the windows, tiny smudges on the doors,
I should apologize I guess, for toys strewn on the floor.

But I sat down with the children,
and we played and laughed and read.
Even though the doorbell doesn't shine,
their eyes will shine instead.
At times I'm forced to choose,
the one job or the other,
I want to be a housewife, but first
I'll be a Mother.

author unknown

Mystery Update

I think I may have cracked the mystery of the wet spot - or rather, the lack thereof. After racking my brain yesterday as to where it could be, I noticed something, but didn't think of. I went to check on the kids before I went to bed. Thankfully, they were sleeping quite peacefully after quite a full day. I noticed that Luke was sleeping on his back & it was almost an ah-ha moment for me. Luke does sleep on his back quite a bit. If that would have been the case the night before, there is a really good possibility that he may have not left a wet spot. I'm feeling much better now knowing that I may not have completely lost it.

It's a Mystery!

This post really starts out as another example of Murphy's Law. We have been working with Luke to potty train him. Even though I still feel incompetent, somewhere along the line he figured most of it out. Anyway, he had been doing really well and waking up in the mornings dry for several days (probably even more than a week). I decided to buy a pad for his bed and then put him in his underwear. Last night was the first night & I thought he was going to pass with flying colors. However, he woke up at 5:30 this morning wet. That is where the mystery begins. Luke was wet, his clothes were wet, but for the life of me I can NOT find a wet spot on his bed or on the floor anywhere! I actually feel a little silly for not being able to find it. I would like to find it so that area can be disinfected. We'll just to wait & see what happens I guess.

New Invention

Last night I was thinking that I need to put an alarm on my washer so when any unwanted item entered it would go off before the wash cycle began. I'm not sure it would work, but it would really help in locating paper, ink pens, cell phones and any other item that isn't washer proof. I don't know if you have that problem, but occasionally an item sneaks in and then either makes a mess or breaks.

Last night was one such occasion for me. I accidentally (of course!) washed my cell phone. Now, it obviously wasn't dirty. I had been expecting a couple of phone calls & had stuck it in my pocket so I wouldn't have to run & search for it when it rang. However, when I was finished with those calls I slipped it back into my pocket without another thought until Chris came out of the laundry room with it when he was moving the load to the dryer. So, nearly 24 hours later it is not working, which is very sad. I'm praying that it just dries out itself, but there is a good chance it might need to be replaced. I'll keep you posted on the my cell phone saga - UGH!

Did You Know . . .?

Did you know that if you get in trouble by touching something with your right hand, that it just might be OK to touch it with your left hand? If you also get in trouble by touching it with your left hand, then it just might be OK to touch it with your face?