It's a Guy thing

This summer when we drove to Colorado to visit family and play, Luke learned something very exciting and new. He learned how to pee standing up. He was not thrilled at first. He protested and refused to go. I am sure he thought his Dad was crazy. How is this going to work?! Well he figured it out. And now, that is all he wants to do- pee outside. He has told me that he needed to go to the bathroom and could I please unlock the back door. If he is already out there playing, he doesn't bother to ask.

A couple of weeks ago I found Luke running around with out anything on below the waist. I asked him where his pants and underwear were. He told me they had gotten wet. I was pretty disappointed. Remember when I mentioned how quickly he potty trained with only 2 maybe 3 small accidents? I was afraid I had lost my bragging rights. I asked me to show him where he had his accident. He took me out into the garage and over to the corner... where he had peed all over Jason's bike. And his shorts? Well, we are still working on the dribble control.

Eat Your Heart Out Major Payne

While Allie was at school today, Joy brought the boys down and we got to go look at all of the airplanes at the Kirland Air Force Base Aero Club. They hosted a visitor barbecue so we had a great free lunch as well. I have loved aviation my whole life and if I could ever manage to keep my lunch down I would consider earning a pilot's licence. As a Sandian, I can sneak into the Aero Club without being a member of the Air Force and earn a licence for about 3/4 of the going market rate.

http://www.kirtlandflightcenter.org/

For those that don't know, Grandpa Payne was a private pilot in the 70s when flying was more affordable. He was also a Major Payne in the Civil Air Patrol while we lived in Farmington. He was able to provide a needed service and get some flying hours in too.


The photo above shows Luke sitting in a T-41, a version of the Cessna 172 that the company sold to the Air Force with a larger engine for use at the Air Force Academy where the altitude rendered a normal 172 underpowered. If I learned to fly at the Aero Club it would be in a T-41 shown in the two photos above. Looks like a million dollars doesn't it?

Sitting in a 182, Aero Club Beech Baron below...
Shara: Tell Trevor that I have informed Joy we will come visit you and drag Trevor back to Oshkosh. Just so you know...
The aircraft above is a brand new Cessna 182 I assume that belongs to the Civil Air Patrol. It was super nice and looked brand new with a glass cockpit (see below). It was my fine pleasure to accompany my dad on one real CAP "mission." We got the big call one evening that an ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) had gone off in the vicinity of the Farmington airport and was picked up by passing satellites. All those free flying hours needed to be cashed in I guess. I was excited to go with my dad and we used a receiver with a big Yagi antenna to hunt the ELT down at the airport. Unfortunately it was difficult to find with all the hangers bouncing the signal around. The FAA guys grew very impatient, I think I grew cold or tired and wound up home if I remember right. The transmitter was found in an old hanger at the end of the airport. An elderly man bumped his head against his ELT while working on his airplane and set it off. I don't remember if I was cranky or excited around my dad but I do remember enjoying spending the time together.

All of the CAP aircraft seemed to be as nice as the Aero Club planes were ratty.

Balloon Fiesta Part Deux

Second weekend of Balloon Fiesta and the morning weather was great! My friend from high school came into town with her two cute kids this past weekend. As soon as they walked in the door all the kids were running around chasing and playing together. We met up with them in Phoenix last time we were there and invited them to come. Her husband Mitch was unable to make it though (too bad Mitch- you missed out). I can't believe we didn't get any shots of them though while they were here. The weekend went by way too fast!

Jason here. USA Today listed the the Balloon Fiesta as one of the "10 great places to find true Americana."
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/10great/2009-08-20-americana_N.htm

It is always a good time and we are getting better and better at it each year. We take our double stroller, this time stocked with piles of homemade breakfast burritos, tons of blankets, hot chocolate in thermos bottles and anything else a good bag lady would take to something like this.

After being stuck in China, Vader made it back for the second weekend of the fiesta. We stood under him while he was being inflated. Danica's little boy was so excited- he wants to be Darth Vader for Halloween. I tried to take him to get a snapshot with a storm trooper but he would have nothing to do with it- he just wanted a closer look.
Allie did not want to get near the Vader with the blue racing stripe at first- she knows evil when she sees it I guess. I told her he is not evil, just a bit misguided and she managed to give him a hug for a snapshot. The fluffy winter storm trooper with diving gear or whatever it was did not seem to be so intimidating to her.
This guy thought he could take on a storm trooper and the two battled for a bit. Too bad my little Luke was cranky- he could have taken him. He needed a breakfast burrito to get the force flowing that early and cheered up later. Both weekends we have hung out for quite a while after the balloons launched. The kids woke up and were happier and we threw a frizbee and football around. A friend from work and Danica's kids all joined in and we wound up playing for an hour or so.
Carter P.: We saw Alan Madsen and said hi. It was fun to meet Didi (sp?) and their kids and introduce ours.

We went back yesterday evening for the Glowdeo, but it was canceled due to high winds. There was a great fireworks show that saved the evening. The five kids played in the dark for quite a while afterward and managed not to get creamed by all the golf carts going by.

It must have been a fun weekend, here is what I found this afternoon when I came home from church.
Mama Bear and her three cubs.

Missing the Bus

Do you remember back in school when you did not have enough time to study for a test or you forgot altogether? And then you went to class and the test was postponed? It was if the heavens were smiling down on you and maybe winking too. What a relief.

One of the funnest parts of our day is walking to the bus stop in the morning and afternoon to drop off Allie and then pick her up again. The boys love it and there is always a contest of who can see the bus coming down the street first. The bus driver explained to me that first day that because Allie is in kindergarten there must be someone there to meet her at the stop or they will not let her get off the bus. If that happens he drives her back to the school and the office calls. "Of course", he added "that has never happened." Today while organizing the closet (hooray I have a closet again!) and hanging out the laundry to dry and playing with Wesley while Luke slept, I happened to look at the clock. It was 4:08pm. The bus comes at 3:49pm. Aaaah!!! I ran outside to see if, by chance, she was at the corner and then back in and then not knowing what else to do, I sheepishly called the school to ask if Allie was there. Before I could say anything more than I was Allie's mother the secretary went into her apology and explanation about a substitute bus driver getting lost, going the wrong way, that they had finally left the school at 4:05pm, and they were so sorry but she should be there soon.

Whew.

*Photos taken by Jason a couple of weeks ago.

Balloon Fiesta 2009

Quote of the day: "Now I get what you mean when you said that photos don't do this justice"! -Molly Jackson

Amen sister! Well sister-in-law actually. Vic, Molly and Peter arrived really late Thursday night. Peter was awake the next morning before they were and boy were our kids sure excited to have a baby in the house. Wesley was totally enthralled with him... until mom held him and not Wesley. The fun had just begun! We went to the Frontier for lunch as promised (see the post below), the temple, Flying Star and then began the early morning pilgrimage to the Balloon Fiesta Park.

Dawn Patrol:
Jason always says "Everyone loves the Balloon Fiesta, whether you are 2 days old or 92 years old" which means if you are 93, just stay home and sleep in. Ha, I am kiding.

This is my favorite part- being right next to or in between the balloons.
Can you see Wesley's face here? He loved it!
Pushing the babies around while they drink their hot chocolate.
Pushing your wife around while she's feeding the baby hot milk. This gave us a good laugh. How many grown women do you know fit in a stroller?

We played in the grass after the balloons had all launched and threw the frisbee around. And then the moment arrived that it was time to go home and take naps.

Until next week (when we get to go again)- Houston, we're out!

Bichos

Quick dad post before balloon fiesta. It is fall which is bicho (bug) season in our home. I don't know if they are cold or what but they sure like to come inside our home. The kids like to catch them (with a little of dad's help) and look at them. Joy's brother Vic, his wife Molly and baby Peter arrived early this morning for balloon fiesta. Tomorrow morning we'll make our annual 5AM pilgrimage.

We saved this guy for a few days until Vic and Molly could take a look. This is about as big as they get in our home. He was difficult to get into a wide mouth jar. (This is a Vinegaroon by the way).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thelyphonida
A more agreeable afternoon snack:

Letting go: