Mom's Little Helper

As women, I think we are born with the gift (or curse!) of feeling the need to multi-task. Earlier today, as I was talking on the phone, I was running around the house trying to pick up laundry, do dishes, etc. I didn't pay much attention to what Samantha was doing (since Tommy is the one you need to keeps tabs on!). As I got off the phone, Sam was in the rocking chair, and proudly proclaimed that she had helped me clean up a little. Indeed she had--she made her bed, my bed, picked up brother's toys, and even hung the hand towel the certain way that I do.


And then Brother helped in his usual fashion as well: got into my desk, stood up on the coffee table ten times and smiled, unloaded my lazy susan cupboard, etc., etc.

Naughty Boy

Don't leave me unattended, even for a second!

In the time it took me to take a bathroom break, this is how I found Tommy. Do you think he is related to Ty Baker? . . . .

I Made It!

I don't know whether Grandma Jen would be proud of my first attempt to cut Tommy's hair, or whether she would cringe. For the most part it turned out ok (other than one small little bald spot in the back near his neck!)

I asked Sam if she wanted me to cut her hair next. Bet you can guess her answer . . . a resounding "heck no!"

The Two Terrible "T"s

Even though Tommy and Ty-Ty are a year apart, they are very much alike, and have been since they were born. Everything that Ty did a year ago, Tommy seems to do now, and believe me, that's not always good.

Now that Tommy is old enough to run with Ty, they can be found chasing each other all over the house, scaling Shari's entertainment center, getting into the dog's water bowl, etc., etc.

However, Ty's favorite thing to do w/ cousin Tommy is to sniff his rear end to make sure he's not stinky. He does it over and over, and if he thinks Tommy might stink, he slaps my leg and makes "ka-ka" noises while pointing at Tommy's backside. The picture above might be used for bribery one day.

Cuspid Canundrum

It has now been five weeks since Samantha's (or Grace's) fall on the playground equipment which resulted in knocking out one front tooth, and loosening the other. I am happy to report that so far, so good. The teeth have not discolored, which the dentist thought would happen in the first week, and they seem to finally be tightening up. Here's hoping that the teeth are nice and tight in two more weeks when the "braces" are supposed to be removed.

Thank Heavens For Technology

I'll be the first to admit that I would have made a terrible pioneer. Tom and I have been camping once in our ten years of marriage (and that was actually sleeping in a trailer). Suffice it to say, I love modern conveniences--electricity, plumbing, microwaves, computers, cell phones, cell phones, etc. etc.

As we are now in day 3 of Tom's Atlas Air training, we are missing his cell phone! (By the way, how did pilots and their wives communicate 15 years ago?) When he got to Miami on Sunday evening, his cell phone had finally kicked the bucket. Perfect timing, right? We have been able to communicate by using our web cams on Messenger, but his Internet at the hotel is not that great, so the picture quality is very sketchy. Any long conversation has had me calling him at the hotel directly. Haven't had to do that in a few years!

Anyway, to make a long story short, I went to the mall Monday night, picked him up a new cell phone (just a phone, Tom, not a PDA/iPod/computer/phone combo), and sent it overnight to him. He should have it by this afternoon, and my pampered technological existence should be back to normal (although his might not, since it's just a phone!).

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

Actually he hasn't discovered trains yet, but you can find cars and airplanes scattered all over our house.

Tommy can be found pushing a car on the ground making "vroom vroom" noises or running with planes in hand making some sort of flying sound Tom tried to teach him.

The day before Tom left for Miami, his friend, Steve, sent home five more toy airplanes so Tommy wouldn't forget his Daddy while he's gone. (Thanks, Steve! The thought is very sweet, but now I have more toys to jab my feet on while running up or down the stairs!)

HULA GIRL

When Sammie was invited to go to a luau with Matt and Shari's family Saturday night, she couldn't just go in the clothes she was already wearing--that would be too easy for Mom.

Instead, we had to make a dash to the nearest party store and get her outfitted accordingly.

The End of an Era . . .

Well, yesterday Tom officially resigned from Mesa Airlines, where he has worked for nearly seven years. I rode with him to headquarters where he dropped off a box containing his ID, manuals, charts, epaulets, etc. While it should have been very exciting, it was almost bittersweet.

I am thrilled he is progressing in his career (since we have worked on it for the past ten years!), but I feel like I am venturing into the unknown. (Change is not my favorite subject, by the way.) Today as we work on packing everything he will take to Miami for the next month or so, I feel as if he is being deployed. I guess I should be grateful I'm not actually a military wife!

Nintendo Boy

I have often heard it said by experts that children should not be exposed to television before two years of age.

Well, since I often don't like being told how to do things, those experts would tell me that Tommy's childhood has been "ruined" as he was exposed to the television long before the age of two. (Come to think of it, if it weren't for Baby Einsteins "Animals on the Farm," I don't think I would ever get my dishes done!)

Well, I'm sure if Dr. Phil or Dr. Laura saw this photo, I'd be nominated for Mother of the Year!

"These are a few of my favorite things . ."

Tommy would say that blankey, thumb and Daddy are some of his favorite things.

Sam would say that cousins are some of her favorite things.

And then, here are some of Tom's favorite things . . .

A Tale of Two Tommies

It has been said that boys are made of snips and snails and puppy dog tails. While that may be true, my little guy is made up of so much more.

For any of you that think he is only sweet and cute, you have another thing coming. There are two sides to Tommy: Tommy the Terrific, who will flash you that goofy grin for no reason and then give you a big, slobbery kiss, and then there is Tommy the Terror (Tommy the Terrible, Tommy the Tornado, etc . . )

See above photo for an example . . .

Oh, the Places He'll Go . . .

When Tom and I were first married, I was working on a scrapbook. There was a picture of Tom at 19 years old holding his pilot's license. I labeled it with something like "Tom's Ticket to the Skies--Oh the Places He'll Go." Little did we know how true this would be.

Now, twelve years later, he is embarking on a new direction in his flying career. Last Wednesday morning he made his last flight on the CRJ--something that is bittersweet to both of us. While he is very excited, I, however, am not that big on change, yet I realize it is necessary. He has flown for Mesa now for the past seven years. I guess you could say it has sort of become my comfort zone. We have also formed many good friendships with fellow pilots and their families over the years at Mesa. Tom will miss bumping into friends in the pilot lounge at Sky Harbor. I will miss our quick, silly little trips w/ Tom on the road--following him around from Des Moines to Las Vegas since he couldn't be home for Valentines Day, or meeting him in Tucson on a quick overnight. I guess now we will make new memories.

Tom starts training Monday morning in Miami to fly a 747 (which by the way is special to him, as his dad helped build the first one!), and will embark on journeys all over the world. When he commented he could buy cheap i-pods in Hong Kong, or leather jackets in Korea, my mind wandered to the cheapest place he could by diamonds . . .

Tommy, Sr.

Twenty-five years later ... he's still him.