The Last Sleepover

July 2013. 

I might be crying by the time I finish this blog post....it's about memories and things that are near and dear to my heart.

 

My Grandparent's house sold yesterday. For 55 years, a Brinton has always called 125 N Fraser Drive East, home. I've written about that house before (What Do You Find at Grandma's House and Save the Pink Bathrooms, and Play Rug Town, and Dutch Oven Rolls and a Station Wagon, and my personal favorite, Ice Cream on a Sunday Afternoon ... or just look under the tag "Growing Up Brinton" on the side bar for all of my memories).

 

 

Still, it always seemed like this day would never come. That somehow always a Brinton would live in that house and keep things going and keep the memories alive. I'm thankful that Mom and Dad were able to live there over the course of this last year while their house was getting some much needed renovations. We stayed there twice with them over the course of the year. Once at Thanksgiving and then at Easter. It was important that my kids be part of the history of the house, that they have the chance to walk the halls and scoot on the floor, to run in the big back yard and to be part of the next generation of family that made memories there.

 

The last night I spent there was Easter Sunday night. I came to bed last, as is usually the case, after I had walked thru the house one last time. I took care to spend a few minutes in each room and to remember my memories there. I saw Christmases, family dinners, baths, games of hide and seek, talent shows, the last breaths of life being taken, blessings, births, and so many other things. I lay down and listened to my sleeping children and husband breathe. I looked at the closet door, slightly ajar, with the inside light on to give us just enough light to see, and so that no one would be scared, just like Grandma always used to do. I knew this would be the last time I slept at my Grandparents house -- my last sleepover. It was so different that the countless others I had been to at their house. Some in the bedrooms, some in the family room, some in the living room lined wall to wall with kid sleeping bags, and some even out on the trampoline, again lined with kids' sleeping bags from end to end. This time there were no endless piles of cousins and friends, just the four of us, on an air matress in Uncle Richard's room. 

Early the next morning, Easter Monday, I woke up early, the first one in the house. I wanted to see the sun rise thru the kitchen window one last time. Like Stonehenge on at the solstice, the sun streamed thru the kitchen window every morning, greeting us, greeting the day. I sat and remembered how my Grandma seemed to always be standing at the window or at least near by, and when we'd walk thru that back door she would look up at us, her expression would burst into happiness, just like the sun burst thru that window. She was always happy to see us, I was happy to see that sun come thru the window one last time for me.

January 2014...

And now it's almost 9 months later when I'm finishing this....yes, I'm crying, remembering, giving thanks, holding on to those great memories.  Dad said the new family has changed things quite a lot in the house.  They're making it their house now.  I'm just glad for 40 years and for this last year, my family and I were part of this house, that we grew up Brinton there, that most likely 125, will always be where the Brintons live in some way or another.

Class of 2003

Ten years ago today I sent my first group of students down the isle to graduate high school.  Then two weeks later I got married, and a week after that I moved to New Mexico, and then two weeks after that I turned 30.

2003 was a big year for me.  It was a big year for those kids.  We all graduated in a way -- my students, me, the town of Queen Creek.  We started in a brand new school, we all broke it in together, they broke me in (which was good and bad in some ways), and I hope I prepared them for life in the world -- a bit, just a bit.  Queen Creek changed as well that year.  One of the biggest debates we had in class was if it was a good or bad thing that the town was going to install the first stop light?  And when I was on campus at night for a function, afterwards I would sit in my car with the windows rolled down and listen to the symphony of crickets that live in the corn and cotton fields that surrounded the school.  Those fields are all plowed under now and houses stand in their places, and there is a stoplight, many, in fact. 

And those kids, those kids that I sent down the isle into the world.  I am still learning from them.  I still love them. I still feel so blessed to have been their teacher.  I still know that the hand of God got me that job, and was with me as I struggled thru those first days and weeks as a school teacher, a broken heart and finding myself.

I see so many of them and follow their lives on facebook -- that's the part of facebook that I love!  They have done some pretty amazing things.  Some of them have gone to college and become teachers, pilots, social workers, hair dressers, and accountants and who knows what else.  Some of them became ranchers and farmers and moms and dads.  They have had children of their own.  They went on missions, moved away and then moved back.  Some of the are doctors, and in the army.  They are good people. 

I wish the pictures I have of them were digitized so I could post them here.  They're not, but I spent some time this morning going thru that box and it was good.  You all were funny kids.  One time, when I had come up to The Atomic City, they left me a message on the board, "Have fun with Joe Nuke!"  There were many pictures of them on the ground taping yarn to the floor to make graphs for a lesson on the Law of Supply and Demand.  Then of course, my favorite, was Lawrence dressed up like a Twinkie for Halloween.  And who can forget Brydon, Roxanna and Aurora and their report on Rahapenstan?  I also found a very vague shot of the Army Rangers parachuting into the graduation ceremony.  Good times, class of 2003.

I expect to be amazed for the next 10 years, so get going! 

What do you find at Grandma's house?

Way back in November, yes, I'm just now writing about November two months later! We had the chance to stay over at my grandparents house. If you ever knew my Grandparents, and knew their house, you knew what a great house it was, and what great people they were. I did a lot of growing up in that house, and I feel like it's "my house" in a way, even though I still think of my parents house as "my house" too. In the last two years, I have become very interested in the mid-century modern period of design and style. That period is anything 1945 to the mid-1970s. The post war period, basically. It was a time when the people who grew up in the Great Depression and who fought WW2 had money and ideas to make their homes innovative, colorful and happy. Grandma and Grandpa were just those people. I looked at the house with new eyes this time and I loved every single minute of it!

This is the family about 1957 or 58. Aunt Ann is not born yet. I love this picture, but am kind of sad that my Dad is the only one still alive (he's the boy to the right of Grandpa in the back).  Sad thoughts over!

In the pantry Dad found a cache of old spice tins and boxes.  I just want to say that it was so fun to cook in Grandma's kitchen with my own kids this trip.  I had a blast digging the old pans and measuring cups out of the drawers and cupboards.  I'm sure Grandma might have even come down to help us.

Mapleine more than anything else in the kitchen reminds me of Grandma.  I think because she always had it, and knew how to make great home made syrup with it.

My grandparents grew up in the Great Depression.  They bought frugally and saved and put things away in cupboards.  Like MD toilet paper (remember that?!) and boxes and boxes of kleenex in closets.

Grandma always had a wet nap in her purse (always from KFC) and lots of little hotel soaps in the bathrooms to wash your hands, in the days before pump soap.  I found an entire jar full of them.  Remember Cashmere Bouquet?  How about Oil of Olay?  I remember Grandma used the Olay.  I thought that when you started using Oil of Olay you were a real lady. 

These next items, along with the NuTone ventilation system in the kids bathroom are my favorite MCM features of the house.  These were the "top of the line" of innovation and style to a 1950s house wife.   The Elkay Lustertone Drain Board Sink.  I get a bit sad thinking that whoever buys the house will take this sink out, not knowing what a treasure it is and just junk it.  Please don't junk the sink!

A Fridgidaire French Door Oven.  These were only made for about 10 years and you didn't see them after about 1959.  It's the same size as a regular oven, just oriented differently and with French doors.  It's funny, Mom and I had to figure out how to make this old thing work to bake Thanksgiving in.  Dad had rigged up a thermometer and display so we could tell how hot the oven was, and then you had to turn the knobs just right to keep it going.  It's still a great oven though.

This is the detail on the top of the oven door.  At one point Frigidaire was a division of General Motors -- the car company!

As I mentioned in the kids bathroom there is a NuTone ventilation system.  NuTone was THE innovator in kitchen and bathroom fixtures in the 1950s and 60s.  If you had NuTone in your home you were thinking ahead.  I also LOVED the tile.  The mint green 4x4 tile.  It was in the shower as well as on the window sills.  In fact Grandma had 4x4 tile on all the window sills in the kitchen and bathrooms.  4x4 tile is a timeless feature in bathrooms, no matter what the color.  However, this mint green along with the pink toilet and bathtub and the pink 4x4s in Mamie Pink in the master bathroom are totally MCM.   Save the Pink Bathrooms!!

 

Without geeking out too much about this, as we were there I just was really overcome with the beauty of this house, and the realization that these finishes were Grandma's choices, her style and it was nice to be surrounded by that, since she has been gone from us for so long.  How many baths did we take in that tub?  How many dishes have been washed in that sink?  Cakes and peacan pies baked in that oven?  Countless to be sure, but it was fun to all a few more on to the totals.

I just hope that when the house is sold and no longer belongs to us, the new family will love it and apprecaite the choices that still live in the house.  And seriously, if you get rid of the Lustertone, I'll buy it from you.

All Aboard!

We made our Thanksgiving trek to Mesapotamia this year. It was nice, although we didn't have to defrost like we normally do. Up until yesterday it's been very nice and very much short sleeve weather here in The Atomic City. Today, not so much.

And as Thanksgiving is Sweet Baby James' birthday we always try and do something big and fun for him. This year we went to McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale. Now, you all know how we, who live south of the 202, feel about Snottsdale, right? You are really the unwashed masses traveling among the high class elite of our fair Valley. But it's still nice to venture to fancy town for stuff!

We used to go to McCormick Ranch when all the had was the one train and a few picnic benches. I still remember having so much fun there though; and since James is very much into trains right now he chose trains over airplanes this year. (Read about seeing the airplanes last year HERE.

Boy have things changed for the better though. Not only can you get there in about 20 mins on the 101, (remember when the Indian tribes closed down Pima Road in protest to the freeway?), there is so much to do there.

The first order of business was taking a ride on the train:

 

It cost $2 a person to ride and we rode it three times. James was IN HEAVEN! It was so fun just putzing along on this little train, wind blowing in our hair and nice, warm Arizona sunshine helping our bodies make plenty of Vitamin D. And we all know that Arizona sun is the best sun, right?

There were other things there as well. A little museum being one. That was also $2 to get into, but kids under 12 were free, so only Joseph and I had to pay. It was full of all sorts of old railroad stuff -- tickects, china, metal signs, lanterns and so on. It made my little vintage heart pound faster than a Marcia Brady at a Davey Jones concert.

The exhibits to this museum were housed in a little building, but also included two real life sized railroad cars. You entered in thru a baggage car, and then continued on to a Pullman car that was used by Presidents FDR, Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy. And yes, if you were wondering the linens were Mamie Pink. How appropriate for the car tha Mamie and Ike rode and slept in. Seriously, it was awesome to be able to walk thru a part of presidentail history. And here is where I will say as well, we used to travel in style in this country. Sorry Southwest Airlines, I know you are cheap and all over the place but, you have nothing on a Pullman Car.

There was also a building dedicated to model railroads. Inside three different model railroad clubs were in the process of building three different scale models, in different scales too.  If I remember there was a Z, an HO and an O set being built.  I started talking to one of the men working on one of the models and I asked him what do they do with the models once they are built. He said he didn't know because it'd taken them 4 years to just get the skeleton and electrical work laidout. I'm sure if we go back again they'll still be working on it. But model railroading, what a fun hobby!

Finally there was a carosel. So very fun! Joseph and James rode while I stood and watched with a sleepy Jeffy:

A fun time was had by all .... ALL ABOARD!

I've been married for 9 years and all I got is Willow to show for it...

I've seen a lot of my friends post and comment on facebook that they've been married 20 years this year -- HOLY COW!! Today is my 9th wedding anniversary. I know that's not as long, and really, who ever thinks about the NINTH anniversary? No one that's who. In fact it's such an obscure anniversary even the traditional gifts are lame. Serioulsy, pottery and willow? I'm just waiting for the willow! Bring on the Willow:



But I've been thinking, nine years is a long time in our sound bite world, and these nine years have gone by fast. Faster than I can believe. I mean seriously right now I want to break out into a chorus of Sunrise, Sunset. It seemes like only yesterday that we were dating and listening to lots of music on our drives too and from airports and far away Queen Creek and the very far away Atomic City. And that's what this post is going to be about, music. Music that reminds me of nine years ago...


Sixpence None The Richer's Million Parachutes


Nora Jones' Come Away With Me


John Mayer's Back to You


And this one....by Duncan Sheik...

For you I want to sing a happier song
for you I'm gonna try to right all my wrongs
for you I'm gonna break my bad habits
there's a golden ring and I want you to have it
there's a golden ring and I want you...



For you I'm gonna sit and patiently wait
it's great if you're early but if its fine if you're late...



Here's to NINE more, and more Willow! :)

Mesapotamian Easter

Like I said a post or two ago, I am horribly behind on blogging our life. Mostly because I am really tired and some days it's easier to just change diapers and watch TV.

But we did go down to Mesapotamia for Easter. We got my feet fixed by Uncle Cameron -- and sidebar here, Colin got into Podiatry school. YAY! I told him, he's going to inherit my feet when his dad retires. I need a good podiatrist for the rest of my life. That however is a post on its own...

We also wanted the family to see Baby Jeffrey. Naturally, everyone loves him:



If I could hire Mere as a babysitter I would. And according to Melanie, when I asked her about the going baby sitting rates she coolly said, "I just take what they give me." Good to know. I will no longer worry about what to pay for baby sitting. Of course, I've only ever paid for baby sitting twice, so what am I fretting about?

Moving on....

Aunt Marie is the best aunt in the world. She set up the Easter Egg coloring and James loved it. I am not a fan of the boiled egg at all, so I've never do eggs at Easter. I suppose I also don't like boiled eggs for the mere fact that when I lived in Bulgaria, everyone gave us eggs at Easter. They were beautiful, too beautiful to eat. So I didn't. Then one July day we came home to find our apartment smelling most foul. All of our pretty eggs we'd kept on display on the shelf exploded. Not pretty anymore, not pretty at all.



We also had to obligatory egg hunt with plastic eggs. James loves plastic eggs. I don't, but for some reason I buy them every year and throw the halves away the rest of the year. I told Joseph he was to punch me in the store if I bought them this year. He didn't, because he wasn't with me when I bought them. However, I've already thrown all the halves away. I'm on top of some things!



James also loves Grandma's house because Grandma used to be a school teacher and has all sorts of great little goodies with which to play. He loves the letter and number beads. Joseph has taught him all of his letters, and we're working on numbers. Just so you know the number 6 comes after most everything, and 100 always comes after 10. Just so you know.



We also stayed at Uncle Dil's bachelor pad this trip. For the record, I LOVE his house. So cute, so user friendly and so very nice. He gutted the house and totally rebuilt things to be extra smooth and comfy. James fell asleep here on the couch after a fun day of playing and running around. However, James did get his comeuppance with Molly, Uncle Dil's kitty. Molly let James know she did not appreciate his invasion of her space. Lesson learned -- sometimes kittys are not nice, but most of the time they are.



We also were able to attend church for the first time since Jeffrey was born. I always love going to church at home. The talks were very heart felt and inspiring for Easter, and it's always nice to see everyone from the neighborhood.

It was a nice time for everyone...we'll come back, when it's not so hot. :)

Aunt Alta

My Aunt Alta, back row, on the very left.

My Aunt Alta passed away on Saturday nite. She was very old and this was expected. I'm sad but not too sad.

Mom wrote this on her facebook today: "Driving back from the Porters last night, Dil mentioned that he is now the "oldest" of the Randall family, since the last auntie, Alta Randall Standage passed away Saturday. We are shedding tears in remembrance of this kind and gentle woman who was not only one of the best aunts in the world, but in many ways, like a double mother & mother-in-law to us. She was at every bridal and baby shower, wedding, family reunion and funeral until recently. She also kept the insurance office straight for many years, working for Grandpa Dil and my Dil as well. She was one-in-a-million and richly deserves her long awaited reunion with Uncle Wayne, her husband, and all her Randall family. (The picture above) Mid to late 40s Randall Family photo: Back L-R Alta, Pearl (My grandmother) Rial Jr. Bertha Front L-R Grandma Mabel Randall, Wayne, Grandpa Rial Randall

My own memories of Aunt Alta is that she was my Dad's secretary for, forever. she always had the best bee-hive hair doo and I loved it. She also always wore her reading glasses on a pearly chain around her neck, and I tought they were very pretty as a child. She always had a candy or something on her desk for the kids whenever we came by Dad's office -- usually it was cinnamon candy of some sort, but sometimes there were starburts. She also was our baby sitter on many occasions. I loved going to her house. She had a big TV that sat on the floor and that was also in COLOR!! She would let us eat peanut butter sandwiches and watch Lawrence Welk or game shows. (Game shows!!). I also remember her Christmas Tree having the most beautiful ice-cicle decorations. I loved them and always wanted the same for my tree when I grew up. I have yet to find anything like them.

i just feel very blessed to have her as my aunt, but also as a second grandmother. I know I loved her just as much as I loved my Grandma Pearl, who was her sister. It's good to be a Randall, that's for sure! :) Of course we'll miss Aunt Alta, but I'm glad she's with her family today. I can't imagine the happiness of the sisters being all together again. :)

Happy Birthday Arizona

It's a very special day for us Arizonies....our little state turns 100 years old today.

Thank you William Howard Taft...glad you didn't stay stuck in your bathtub for too long.

I'm just a bit sad to be here in New Mexico missing all of the fun next door....(let's just say, New Mexico also celebrated its centennial this year, and it's been rather lame in comparison).

:(

Anyway....here are some tid bits about the 48th state of our Union:



Our flag has been voted one of the top 10 best state flags by Rand McNally. As you can see it's very beautiful. The star in the center represents COPPER, which is one of our 5 C's. Arizona used to be the world leader in copper production. Have you ever thought to visit Bisbee? You can go down into the copper mine there...it's very fun. (Even though I did not want to admit that when I was 16 and we went there for spring break instead of Disneyland -- thank you Mom and Dad.)

The blue field on our flag represents the blue skys of Arizona. If you haven't ever been there, you must know that the sun shines more than it doesn't and it's really hot all summer long, but the sky is always a beautiful blue. The sunsets are also the stuff that legends and love songs are made of. I miss those sunsets!

The stripes represent the rising sun. Who doesn't love the sun? I tell you when I was a missionary in Bulgaria, and we were in the middle of the dark, grey communist winter, I'd miss the Arizona sun so much I'd cry. I'd also go into the bathroom where there was a low hanging light and just stand in front of it. I'd pretend it was the Arizona sun I love so much. I also secretly wished it would sunburn me so I didn't have to go tracking.




Above is our state seal, with our motto Ditat Deus, which is Latin for "God enriches". If you look at our 5 C's, which are represented on our seal you will know why God has enriched us:

COPPER = who doesn't love a precious metal? Arizona is/was also home to gold, silver and other semi-precious metals and mineral mining for decades. Mining is still one of the biggest industries in the state. We're one of the few states with a "State Mine Inspector". The SMI, is an elected office and he or she is 4th in line of secession for the governorship.

CITRUS = as you all know, I love me a good orange, or lemon, or tangerine. Citrus has always been one of Arizona's main cash crops. Growing up in Mesa we were surrounded by orange groves. Citrus = the happy fruit!!

COTTON = the dry climate of central and southern Arizona makes it perfect for cotton. When I worked out at the Po-Dunk high school 10 years ago (yes that long!!), we were surrounded by fields of cotton. Sometimes I'd pull over and run into a field and pick a boll of cotton and just rub it between my fingers. After all it is the fabric of our lives, is it not?

CATTLE = Three of our 5 C's are devoted to agriculture. And who does not love a good hamburger? Cattle ranching is still very important to Arizona. In fact, when I talk about "The Ranch", I'm talking about my great-grandfather's cattle ranch just west of Flagstaff. That's what he did for a living -- he ranched cattle.

CLIMATE = Yes, you can go from winter to summer all in a day in Arizona if you're willing to drive. Up north we have the cool pines of Flagstaff and Payson and down south we have the hot dry Sonoran desert in Phoenix and Tucson. In the summers every kid anxiously awaits the monsoons and the promise of playing in the rain. There is no better smell than the first drops of rain on the desert floor.

Of course, our most famous landmark is The Grand Canyon. Who didn't love the 4 part Brady Bunch Grand Canyon episode growing up? That was filmed about an hour from The Ranch at the South Rim of the Canyon. However, there is the North Rim, which is so beautiful and significantly less crowded than the South Rim. At any rate, The Grand Canyon gives us our nick-name "The Grand Canyon State". If you've never been to The Canyon, then let's go...seriously, I'd love to come with you! And if you've never heard "The Grand Canyon Suite" by Ferde Grofe, I suggest you youtube it or itunes it or whatever...but listen to it...more than any piece of music this is ARIZONA!! Mom had this record when we were little, we'd sit and listen to it for hours on our little blue record player....thank you Mom!

This clip is the first and second movments: "Sunrise" and "The Painted Desert"


The thrid and fourth movments, "On the Trail" and "Sunset"


And the fifth movement, "Cloudburst"


There are many great things about Arizona that I love, but being able to say I'm a native Arizonan is probably the best!

Happy Birthday Arizona!

The Other Christmas Tree

This is the story of another Christmas Tree.

It's the story of last Christmas Tree my Grandma had at her house, before she moved into the Granny Hilton.

If recollect correctly, and who is to really say that I am remembering anything past my name right these days...I'm not, I assure you it's a passing phase -- but I digress. It was Christmas 2002 and one of the cousins had taken Grandma's last tree down and done away with it. No one really bothered to think about it, the tree was gone and that's all that was needed. As spring approached Mom, Aunt Jeanne and their brothers packed Grandma up to live with Sister Price in her assisted living home, which we dubbed the Granny Hilton. Grandma always did say she was living in the lap of luxury there -- and she did. The purge of her house began and we found all sorts of things. Thirty-five cans of Snow-drift shortening anyone? A case of pouring salt, family pictures, china, and the list went on.

And then someone noticed it. There in the front of the house, between the hedges was the Christmas tree. The last Christmas tree. Did I mention it was March too? There it was, that last Christmas tree, brown, scraggly, naked of needles and pitiful. No one gave it a second thought and was thrown on top of the garbage trailer waiting for a final ride to the dump.

No one gave it a second thought, until a few days later.

I was driving south on the Gilbert Road to work early one morning and a truck with a trailer loaded-over-the-top with debris was speeding the other way. In a brief second it was airborne, an old dead Christmas tree. It was a fine flight, reminiscent of the best of the Mercury missions, with the skeleton of a tree soaring off the top of the trailer and landing squarely in the middle of the road. There it lay, skinny and bare for the whole world to see.

At dinner that night, Mom asked, "Did you see that dead Christmas tree in the middle of the road this morning?" Yes, we all had. We started mocking and laughing, because who would still have a Christmas tree in March? Who did that tree belong to? What losers!

Then Dil walked in and piped up..."Ya, that was Grandma's Christmas tree."

AAAAHAHAH!! Even funnier.

Because we were the losers with a Christmas tree in March that landed in the middle of the road.

Airplanes

As promised -- or at least sort of alluded to -- in my last dispatch, we took James to the Arizona Wing of the Commemorative Airforce out at Falcon Field for his birthday to see the AI-PANES!

Oh airplanes! Who does not LOVE airplanes? Seriously, they are beautiful and amazing all at the same time. I realize that a Southwest jet full of stinky, under dressed people is not beautiful, but if you realize what an airplane can do, it is a beautiful thing.

The AZCAF has a working B-17. Let's refresh our memories about the B-17 shall we? If you remember the time when Harry Connick Jr was in a leeettle-tiny-movie called Memphis Belle that's the plane that is the featured plane here at the AZCAF. Oh and you can totally go up inside the plane -- the B-17, the plane that WON the Second World War. "Tail gunneah, checkin' in"... and for the record, the tail gun section is tiny -- really tiny.

The nose are -- hello Betty Grable! I love nose-cone art



James at the waist gun.

James on the catwalk over the bomb-bay. He's only 3, and he barely fit on the walk...it was tiny. Makes you appreciate the men who worked at this part of the plane as it flew in the skies

A rare shot of Grandpa Dil smiling. Please note the date and time for posterity.

Crawling thru the plane

There were lots of other planes there as well -- two Mustangs (a WW2 fighter plane), a Corsair (also a WW2 fighter), some vintage planes from the 1930s, some Vietnam Era aircraft including a Huey helicopter, the Red Barron Pizza Plane and this one....this was the best one....

"A baby AI-PANE!"


We had to drag James literally kicking and screaming when it was time to leave. He did not want to leave, I don't blame him!

The Birthday of the Third

As I mentioned in my last dispatch, James turned THREE the day after Thanksgiving. Turned out, our niece Natalie had a baby that same day as well....only 10 mins after James' birth time. Yes, you're wondering, I'm a great-aunt. I've always been the fun aunt, but I am also a great-aunt...at the ripe old age of 34. Now I'm 38 and there are six great-grandchildren in the Atomic family. That's what happens when the span of ages amongst your husband's siblings is almost 20 years. You get weird cross over generations. James is closer in age to his second cousins than his first.

But I digress...

Arizona is perfect in November and December...it's not hot and it's not cold, and there is much to do. MUCH TO DO! These are the times I really get mad at The Land of Entrapment...oh wait, I mean Enchantment. Honestly, would it kill IKEA to open a branch of the big blue lego here? Seriously, I need a Poang chair like yesterday.

Again, I digress, this is about James, my three year old son.

Tuesday we took him to the Bass Pro Shop -- just to look at the fish, but there was so much more there than just fish and poles and other camping things:

On the carousel


On the four-wheeler. We seriously could not get him off of this


We also rode the elevator about 30 times up and down...he loved it.

Friday morning we took him to the airplanes out at Falcon Field, which deserves its own post entirely, however I will say this it involved a B-17 that you could go up into...and oh did James and Joseph go...



Airplanes are absolutely magnificent machines.

We also hung out with Uncles, Aunties and Cousins...

With Uncle Dil, the Toddler Whisperer. Seriously, James will not sit still for reading time with us, but he would for Dil. Dil is hired.


Trying to understand opening presents with Mere and McKay. He finally got it at the end...sort of. Needless to say, most of the presents were opened by other people. Maxwell didn't complain about it though. :)


And of course, what trip to the homeland would not be complete without a dinner from Barro's Pizza? We had a pizza birthday party with cake and ice cream. I think James blew out and re-blew out his candles about 5 times. In the process he might have spit on the cake a bit...I think it grossed Matt out, but oh well.



Like I said James is growing so fast and so big, but it seems like he's always been part of our family. Right now his favorites include:

The color yellow
VW Bugs which he calls Honeys
Cinnamon Life for breakfast every day, if he's in the mood for breakfast.
"Snacks" which are Rold Gold pretzels.
Blues Clues, Curious George, Ducktales and Peppa Pig.
Woody, Buzz, Light (Lightning McQueen) and Mate (Mater)
Chox Miiiwk
Hot Chox
Tay-toes (mashed potatoes)
Yogurt "in a bowl".
Hot wheels and toy airplanes.
Real airplanes
Baby Farm Animals, Little Golden Book.
Dusting the house.
Washing his hands at the sink.
Stick hunting in the back yard.
Friends - which include but are not limited to: Snoopy (Poopy), Tigger (Tiggy), Curious George, Kitty Wow, The Puppies (Pickle, Night-Night, Brown and Spot), The Teds and of course Doggins.
People friends -- Kaylee, Samuel, Bella, Mable, Phoebe and Ewan.
Playing flight simulator and BALLS! (Zumba) with Joseph
Helping me mix things in the kitchen.

He weighs almost 40 pounds and is 38 inches tall and wears four year old clothes. But he is still a baby in a lot of ways, which is fine with me...he can stay little as long as he wants. And he can stick stickies all over his face till the day is over:

A McKay Thanksgiving Recap

Maybe if National Blog Posting Month and National Novel Writing Month were not in the month of November I could do more with my writing. But as it stands....I am busy in November!!

We've been busy -- no time to write, where there are festivities to festivate and mashed potatoes to eat.

Our feast from two views. There was A LOT of food....even by our standards.




Last week we trekked to the homeland for a McKay Thanksgiving. It was great. Nineteen out of my 27 cousins were there with their spouses and kiddos. Everyone but Aunt Jeanne and Uncle Nelson were there from the Aunts and Uncles camp, and they're in China so they totally get an excused absence...although, I did talk to Aunt Jeanne on the phone...from China. Red, Communist China. I know that shouldn't probably awe me so, but it does. They are having a great time teaching English there and I anxiously await their blog updates.


My mom talking with Gunn McKay -- aka as Super G

Did I also mention that my cousin Special K's parents -- Super G and Jana were there with their two remaining kids? They were, and I love it when they show up to things.

Sweet Baby James and I eat our dinner. Yes he ate something! I had goulash -- no turkey for this pregnant mama

The Men -- Kirt, Joseph, my brother Big James and Dad

Cousin Corner -- David, Marie, Matt, Dil, LeRoy and Shawn


The thing that really made me laugh though, was I read a news story on some celebrity gossip website (yes, I know for shame, but US Weekly has a hold on me from time to time) about the Duggar Family (of 19 Kids and counting fame) were hosting 50 at their Thanksgiving. I would like to tell the Duggars to BRING IT next time. We had 60+, and that is totally normal for us. I'd never put a number on our gathering, but we are that large. Apparently when Melanie mentioned this to one of her teachers, the teacher's eyes rolled into the back of her head and Melanie had to perform Girl's Camp first aid on the lady from the pure shock of it all.

A bunch of us avoiding the football game in the other room. Note how comfortable Heather and I look -- pregnant as ever

Uncle Ernest clearly lost the battle. Aunt Elizabeth was providing support

We also celebrated Sweet Baby James' THIRD birthday on Friday. Seriously folks, I can't believe he's been with us THREE YEARS. It just seems like he's always been part of our family. He is a very fun little dude -- and he's more fun now that he can talk and interact. I mean, I am excited to have another baby, but honestly, newborns are a bit on the blobby side in the personality department.

Some ROCK STARS! Christian, Little Cameron and Little James

Uncle Cameron even sent us home with a bag of "Baby Ooonges" as SBJ calls them. They are some heavenly tangerines....heavenly people. I've eaten about 10 a day so far.

More details to follow on our week in Mesapotamia -- that is if I can get myself unstuck from this pan of mashed potatoes.