Stealth bombers and ballistic missiles

I'm very proud to say that the terms "B-2 Stealth Bomber" and "Ballistic Missiles" have become an integral part of both Calvin's and Noah's vocabulary.

Last weekend we visited the National US Air Force Museum in Dayton, OH and it did not disappoint. The 1980's rock soundtrack being played over the speakers got the boys really into it...

(According to the teacher, Calvin shared with his whole primary class the basic theory behind the Smart Bomb, going into detail about the GPS system it carries.)

The all-time favorite B-2 Stealth Bomber -Aunts and Uncles take note, you will be expected to know all about this, I'm sure.

not happy to be leaving:

Since this little outing, the boys have been playing mostly "airplane attack", drawing very descriptive "battles" involving missiles and stealth bombers, and I've been hit twice in the eye with a flying paper airplane... I get to choose the next destination for our weekend trip.

looking the part

break time in between posing for pictures at aunt steph's wedding. life is tough on a little guy when you're too big to be held and still small enough that everyone wants to see your little suit.

Power of Persuasion

The boys had a friend over the other day who was not that into playing one of Calvin's favorite games- racing around the house in circles.

I got to overhear this conversation as Calvin did his best to entice the little guy:

"But there will be running...." no response

"... and speed..." no response

"... and no claws poking you..."

Apparently the lack of claws sealed the deal, and they were all happily running circles in no time. These quick glimpses into the minds of my little boys help me realize that, no, I will never fully understand what goes on inside their heads.

Pretty good year

Apparently Noah thought it would be fun to end 2008 by changing things up a bit.

He's decided that he's finally ready to talk- he had us worried there. He doesn't seek out all listening ears and working microphones in the area (like someone else we know) but he definitely makes his thoughts and wishes known. We've gained a whole new understanding of Noah now that we get a glimpse of what goes on in that little mind of his:

While eating out one night with a large group of family, Noah found himself seated at the head of the busy table. Before I could restrain him, he stood to full height on top of his highchair and loudly exclaimed to us all with raised hands, "I'm batman!". Definitely didn't see that one coming.

Noah has also decided that he can be contained in a crib no longer. Those who have experienced this know the first time they manage to crawl out on their own changes everything. He now shares the bottom bunk with Calvin and we put them to bed together hoping one of these nights they will eventually fall asleep on their own. So far, no luck. (On our latest trip to Missouri he even managed to outlast his patient Uncle Sidney singing to him for over an hour and his sweet Aunt Mary lying down with him until 3am, I'm pretty sure they won't be volunteering to put Noah to sleep any time soon.) It is impossible to keep our defiant little Noah in his room, much less his bed. Unfortunately for us, he's setting an early precedence for pushing boundaries.

(Technically he's still "in" his room.)

And finally, Noah has started the exciting process of potty-training. In so doing, he has brought to light a design flaw in boys' underwear. Apparently all of the cool pictures of cars, Diego, superheroes, etc. can only be found on the back, making it impossible for the little boys wearing them to see the pictures (which is pretty much the only reason to wear "big boy potty pants"). Luckily, Noah has found a solution- just wear them all backwards.

So, here's to another exciting year with little boys growing up too fast.

Soccer Wisdom

Now that Calvin's first soccer season has officially ended, it's nice to look back on some of the things he has learned:

No matter what the girls think, sports should always be taken seriously.


When surrounded by enemies, just push harder.

There might be a future in motivational speaking.

This will come back to haunt me.

Penalties happen.

Noah kind of looks like Alfred Hitchcock.

Headbands make you look really cool.

Gold is a sweet, sweet thing.


Play hard, nap hard.

After Trick-or-Treating

After the boys had completely worn themselves out trick-or-treating (tiring, yet rewarding work for little boys), we thought that bedtime - for once - would be easy.

• Removed the face paint and costumes
• Dished out allotted candy ration for night
• Hid the rest of the candy
• Brushed teeth
  
• Pajamas on
• In bed, lights out
• Started a movie with hopes of few interruptions
  

Hours later, after not having heard anything throughout the movie, RB went to check in on the boys. Noah was shirtless, as always, but asleep. Calvin, on the other hand, was fully awake, sitting up in bed.

RB: Calvin, it's so late, what are you doing still awake?

Calvin: Not eating that candy (pointing to a round object covered by his blanket).

RB then uncovered the once full trick-or-treating bag of candy and noticed the chocolate covered fingers, mouth, and sheets of our little boy. He then asked where all the wrappers were and Calvin slyly pointed under his bed.

I'm a little concerned about what's going to happen when he's smart enough not to give himself away. He's sneakier than we thought. Not to mention this behavior was once again reinforced due to RB's inability to refrain from laughing at this sequence of events. And for those keeping track, this isn't the first time Calvin has been busted in bed with chocolate.

Pumpkins, Ghosts, and CANDY

Since none of our Missouri pumpkins made the trip back to Ohio, we paid another visit to a pumpkin patch. Luckily, this process never grows old to Calvin.

Our dear friend Alex and his girlfriend, Meghan, came down for the weekend to join in the festivities (Calvin loves Alex, "even if his favorite team is the cubs"). They both proved to be valuable pumpkin picking advisers and very talented carvers as well.


Halloween night was, of course, one of the best nights ever for our two little sweet-toothed boys. Up until a few weeks ago, I was a little concerned about the costumes that Calvin was requesting. He seemed dead set on being Optimus Prime.
Granted, it would probably be a big improvement in the "cool" factor from last year's Halloween, but a little daunting for a mommy who is in charge of making the actual costumes.

So when Calvin announced after watching "Charlie Brown and the Great Pumpkin" that he would like to be a ghost, I piled the boys in the car and took them to pick out their white sheets before they had a chance to change their minds... luckily Noah is content to do anything like Calvin for the moment.

So here are our little ghosts. Unfortunately, the pictures didn't turn out that great as the boys had very little patience for smiling before the trick-or-treating.

I wish you all could have seen the boys' faces as they walked from door to door collecting their precious candy. I guarantee it would have put a smile on your face as well.