When did he grow up???

To top off my baby turning three this month...my first baby also started "big boy" school! He is going to British school and he has been beside himself to start! Granny bought him all his uniforms when she was here so he's been set for quite awhile. I was so sad to send him off to school though, even though he was so looking forward to it, and of course, I was too in many ways. It's still hard too.

 They start out going until noon for two weeks, then they go until one for one week and then, if they are ready they go until 3:15. I'm sure he will do just fine, I have no doubts. He is so ready and has been for months! He felt so special when he got dressed this morning and was just ready to GO!

So here he is eating his first day of school breakfast, per his request...Cocoa Puffs and toast with apple jam. (don't mind my laundry behind him...I LOATHE having a washer in the kitchen!!!)

Here he is, all ready to go in his adorable uniforms! He just makes that uniform look GOOD doesn't he???

Kade and Daddy on his first day of SCHOOL!

Kade with baby brother (who was in no mood for this barrage of photos) on his first day of school!

Here you go, a photo of me having to cut the cord just a little more... my beautiful sweet precious boy!!! Off to school with all those big kids!!!! Such a happy, proud, sad, sickening feeling all mixed up in one!

(no I actually did not cry either, shocker eh?)

Of course I had to add this one...Cody REFUSED to get out of the car when we got home. He didn't get to go to school and we left Kade there. He said he was just going to sit in the car until it was time to go get Kade. Then, " Moooo-OOOmmm...can you bwing me my choco-whut meee-olk please?"

So yeah, he was just going to hang out in the car sipping his milk until it was time to get Kade. Dad finally coaxed him out though. :)

beautiful birthday boy

My sweet little Cody...
I cannot believe that you are already THREE years old! On one hand, you seem so much older and then I remind myself that you are ONLY three and barely at that and you are suddenly such a baby to me. You've always been much older than you really are, perhaps a curse of heredity since I seem to always have been as well. Sure it's cool in your teens, but hit your thirties and tell me how you feel! :)
You are often a force to be reckoned with, but it is that strength and determination that I know will take you so far in life. Of course it is a headache for me quite often, but you quickly flash that smile of yours at me, and I am reminded that you are just you and you will never be one to lay down for anyone.

You were a blessing I did not know I needed, a surprise, a gift that I did not know I wanted for. Yes, you were a surprise for us, but what an amazing surprise! The best I've ever gotten! You were feisty in the womb and I knew you'd be that way when you got here...I was not wrong at all! I was already under the assumption you would come out swinging and thought of warning the doctors to watch out for a sucker punch!
The sweetest sound I am sure I've ever heard was you. I did not get to hear Kade's first cry when he was born, though I'd dreamt of it for months. When I found out about you...I again dreamt of what you would sound like, what it would be like to finally hear you make a noise, rather than feel you fighting to get out! It was so surreal when I did finally hear you that I thought it was someone else having a baby in the next room. My heart leapt from my chest when they exclaimed that it was indeed MY baby that I heard crying! Then over the curtain came this mass of thick black hair and I was overcome with love and joy. I wanted to hold you so badly right then, but I had to wait. Your Daddy held you to me so that I could kiss your forehead for the first time.
You have always been a Mommy's baby, and even though you go through phases and tell me you are Daddy's boy...I know deep down you will still run to me and snuggle down in my chest for a cuddle.
You are the epitome of tough and sweet all rolled into one precious little boy. You are by all means, the very definition of boy as well! All trains, planes and cars. Dinosaurs, dirt, sand, running, falling, laughing really loud and screaming at the top of your lungs. You are non-stop play. That is all there is to it. It takes a stranger all of 60 seconds to deem you, " always busy" and they are so right. You do not sit and stare at pictures or books, you do not sit and watch TV or watch the grass grow. You are always on the move, even in your sleep. It is unfortunate, that your Mommy and Daddy do not have the energy stores that you do...how we wish we did!

You have the most fun personality and you share it with everyone! You LOVE music and love to dance! We dance together quite often and that is one of the things I will forever look back on and smile at every time for the rest of my life. You love all music, but your favorites have always been reggae and pop/hip-hop. However for the past several months, your favorite song has been Footloose and that is also your favorite movie! When we watch Footloose I have to replay the beginning at least 5 times over and over so you can mimic the feet. You've nearly got it down to the second now! It was one of my very favorite movies when I was a little kid too though...so how can I blame you?
Sometimes, I think I get a bit too defensive in your honor. That is my right though, but sometimes people only see how high strung and intense you are and they do not see that angelic little boy that is really under all that independence and determination. You will fight and scream, kick and hit to open the door BY YOURSELF, but then instantly cry and hug my leg apologizing. You hide behind me when strangers speak to you, but then run off and play and tell them stories and show them bugs you found.
Everything MUST be your idea or you will have no part in any of it. You refuse help nearly every single time it is ever offered to you, no matter how much you need it...often coming back seconds after an epic battle of wills and ask for the help you were offered in the first place. While my impatience really wishes you'd just let me do it for you to start with, I do try with every ounce of my being to let you figure it out on your own. Your famous words, " NOT YOU!!! Me!!!!! I WILL DO IT!!! NOT YOU!!!!!" . In case you might not remember someday when you are older and read this, you have possibly one of the loudest screams known to man. I swear some days that I will be more deaf than your Daddy after he's worked on jet engines for 20+ years! If I make it out of your toddler/preschool years with my hearing intact it will be a miracle!
The thing is though, I know no matter where you go, or what you do...you will be heard. You will make sure that you are not left behind, overlooked or pushed aside. You will ALWAYS fight for what you want and not stop until you get it. So I know, that even as I see gray hair after gray hair pop up, that you will take life by the proverbial horns and throw it down if it does not go your way. That is something any mother can take comfort in.

If there is nothing else in this world at all that I want for you and Kade...it is that you will always go after what YOU want and not let anyone else ever change your mind. You must be proud of who you are, what you do, what you love and who you want to be and NEVER be intimidated by those who are too afraid to do that themselves.
You might be afraid of "lightenin-ing" and extremely loud noises, but you are not scared at all of life and living it for all you can get out of it and that makes me smile.
You achieve far beyond what is expected of you and never expect much fanfare for it, as much as I try ;).

Your smile, your beautiful crooked smile. It can nearly bring me to tears sometimes, even to think of it. Your smile could bring world peace I think, if everyone in the world were exposed to it just once a day...they would forget all their troubles and just smile right back. You can have me frazzled and fried and turn that smile on and it is all instantly gone away.
I love how you snuggle up with your animals, Ralph and Bob every night. They must speak to you before you go to sleep, give you kisses and I have to tuck them in just right or you cannot relax. :0) You always ask Ralph and Bob if they want to go with you next time when they ask about what you did that day. I love how you wake up in the middle of the night, usually too early in the morning, and quietly crawl in our bed and snuggle up with me. I love how you scold others for not saying 'thank you' when it's necessary and you never ever let your brother go off to school without giving you a hug first. You absolutely adore your older brother and he adores you right back. I love that you guys insisted on sharing a room and freak out at the mere mention of ever not sharing. You love being together and always say you are best friends.
You will never allow us to even mix up your nicknames, for you quickly correct us that YOU are not a monkey, you are a bug...thank you very much! ;o)

You are, the most precious little boy, the greatest gift and the perfect surprise. You completed our family and your zest for life and action and going, and doing and seeing, and telling is something that always keeps us on our toes and always will. You are our little energizer bunny, and we will always run to keep up with you!
You are the thing I never knew I needed until I had you in my arms and I cannot imagine a single day without you. You are the chaos and entertainment of the family and we absolutely adore you for it. You are the baby of the family on both sides and luckily, you've yet to realize it! ;o)
We love you, and are so very thankful for you and hopefully the days don't go by too fast before I've got to write you another birthday letter!
Happy Birthday my sweet little bug!
We love you with all our hearts!

wow. i suck. how about a post anyone?

well. i KNEW it had been awhile. but... yikes! okay so august just kinda slipped through the cracks there. well. there's one on its way. be patient!
this is not it. because...i'm trying, but not getting very far with these boys today! and last night, i couldn't finish it. so, let us hope i'm done tonight! maybe....

Mike's Favorite

Rarely does he get very excited about photos, but Mike did get pretty stoked when he saw this one. I, of course, love it also. I'm not sure what it is that got through to them all of a sudden, but just so you know it's been nearly three YEARS since I got a shot of them both looking at me. That'd be when Cody was a newborn if you are wondering. Haha!
Anyway, earlier in the week, I was just having a horrible time making myself stay home. I guess I've just been feeling so chipper lately that I am getting bored very easily. I couldn't stay here a moment longer. I took the boys into the base to just do a couple of little errands - oh yeah, buy those plants that were half off that will probably die in a month to never return.
Mike had grabbed us a sub at the commissary, I picked up our lunch from him and then took the boys to do something I've been promising for ages but always put off. It was spur of the moment, Kade's idea, so...why not?
They've been wanting to have a picnic and watch the airplanes take off. I saw several of the planes revving up on the runway, so I figured it was a good day for it.
We went out to the end of the runway, in a field and had a sandwich in the back of the car. They had so much fun running around free and watching the planes.
Somehow, they decided they'd be nice and pose for me a few times too.
What is funny, is I think they're getting a bit carried away with it now. I love it just the same though. Its the type of thing I've always dreamt about! Now if they'll only do it for me when I have them decked out in outfits for the occasion. These are certainly great though, very "them"!

Ah anyway. I yap enough don't I?
Here's one.
THE picture.
I promise, I will get around to posting more and sharing the LOADS I have from Shannon and STeph's visit!




See, all I actually asked for was, "put your arm around your brother and look AT me." and they gave me this. They have been messing with me all this time haven't they?

A Public Apology.

It is something that I must do. I cannot let the people of the world walk around in the daze of terror they must be in this evening, without letting them know that I really was completely unaware and I am sincerely SORRY.
You're thinking, "WHAT??" aren't you? Be glad you were not there.
See... I've had bad luck with my jeans lately. First, my most favorite pair of jeans in the world, that I've ever had in my whole entire life ripped. Okay so they were actually purchased ripped up quite a bit, but...they ripped somewhere that is a bit of a fashion faux pas, if not against the law. I actually shed a tear or two. Me, the not so sensitive person I am, did actually shed a tear over my beloved jeans. Okay and so a lot of that emotion was due to the fact that it's the first pair of jeans I ever bought that were actually a bit too long for me (American Eagle my tall sisters, AE has got you covered my friends!) but we'd also been so tight on funds for so long, it was really the only "good" pair I had.
So fast track here, I had two pair of Gap jeans that I bought last year. They were very special in a sentimental way. Like... I worked so hard to lose weight and I was so giddy when I tried on the 10 and it wasn't like some massive explosion of flubber trying to spill out every thread that could spare it. I was so giddy in fact, that I had to take a photo with my iPhone and text it to Frankie. First me IN the jeans, and then a close up of the size tag. Yep. I'm like "that". I really never thought I'd see the day. So the 2nd pair was even more special, b/c they were even a size smaller. So, poor Frankie, got yet ANOTHER picture of me in jeans in a Gap dressing room.
Well, they got worn. They got worn A LOT. They were long enough you see, and that is something that I"m just not used to and it is, indeed, a RARE find. Well, the smaller pair ended up with a hole in the knee, well that surely didn't bother me. However, the worn places, starting out like a hole near the back pockets were a cause for concern. So I only wore them around the house...
Until tonight that is. I accidentally wore the wrong pair to get groceries. A big grocery trip. One that involved a lot of stooping, bending etc... Granted, I always wear long shirts, but who knows how many times it wasn't taking care of me.
I will just say, that of all the times in my life, tonight would have been a GREAT one to have on some boy shorts, or at least a big ol' pair of Granny Panties. Apparently, I spent over an hour in a grocery store, with two fair sized holes in the ass of my jeans. I find it really sad, that it took Mike pointing this out to me when I got home to know about it though. You would think I'd have noticed. You'd think...
So, for that, all of you that had the sheer misfortune of being behind me this evening, I sincerely apologize. I wish, for your sake, that it had not happened more than for my own. At the very least, I could've at least had such a monumental wardrobe error when I was 20 and had a cute rear end and not when I was 31 and have birthed two children and not kept in shape enough.
I apologize. I will gladly offer up some other mental images for you that might erase this horrible incident from your memory. I will not, however, pay any therapy bills for you. You'll just have to get over it on your own. I do, however, very sincerely apologize for the nightmares, nausea, and aversion to grocery stores that you will likely experience for the next few months.
Please forgive me...

These are the days that you miss the anonymity of Wal Mart.

In other news...
I weighed the boys the other day and they both weighed exactly the same. 43.0 lbs. WOW. Crazy huh???
They've also decided, amidst their non-stop brawling the past several days, that they are kinda cool with me taking photos of them together. I have a few that are still on my camera that make this Mama's heart happy. FINALLY. It only took THREE years.

I was so excited when I went to the base the other day and found all of their garden plants 50% off. I loaded my cart FULL of flowers. Their flowers are always, even at full price, half dead. They are usually able to be saved. So I spent a bit on flowers because I just adore all of these gardens I see with flowers everywhere. I got home, with all of my plants and bags of miracle grow and pots etc... got about half of them planted and then began to wonder, "are these the kind that only bloom once?".
Way to go genius. We'll see next year I guess.

To that, I'm sure ANYONE in the Southern U.S. (and apparently Oregon too) is wondering why the hell I"m worried about flowers for NEXT year when it is ONLY almost August. Um...well, apparently the forecasters here jinxed themselves. They predicted it to get near 100F this coming month and...it is currently 55F outside. We've got highs in the mid 60's and lows in the 40's some nights. FORTIES?!?!?! That's like, awfully close to FREEZING people! It's AUGUST! That is like the most MISERABLE month of the year in Texas. I'm cold right now. So, you see, I do have cause to worry about my flowers that won't return next summer.

and to close:
It was always cute that my boys loved to mimic Footloose, you know the feet dancing in the beginning of it? Well, i put it on to show Steph and Shannon when they were here and holy hell. I have to watch it daily and replay that part 6 times and just shoot me now PLEASE, I had it on my ipod and the kids know that now. So tell me, what's worse? Shrill kid screaming in the car for Footloose or Kenny Loggins kickin off his Sunday shoes 8 times in a row full blast? The jury is still out...

With that... NO I don't have any photos to share yet! I'm too busy playing a continuous loop of Footloose in my brain while mooning the entirety of Lakenheath commissary thank you...

*yawn*

Yep, I'm still around. Sort of... Here I am being zapped out after the kids are tucked away for the night again. I think maybe Mike and I will get some board (bored?) games or something because apparently reading or watching TV makes us sleepy and it's far too quiet when the rug rats are snoozing.
I'm sure it's just all of us still trying to get re-adjusted after our visit! :) Oh yeah... I know, I know, I KNOW. "Where are the pictures????".
Well, didn't you see??? I'm TIRED! ha! We had a lovely visit and sadly there is just WAY too much England to show to get it all shown in that amount of time! I'm sure WE won't get to see all that we want to in our time here! However, we did get to see some nice and VERY neat stuff while Steph and Shannon were here. Things we had not, ourselves, yet gone to see. So that was neat. As much as I LOATHE crowds and/or crowded locations, it was alright. I swear, I don't think I'm THAT much of a country girl, but seriously...the days that *I* Queen Aimee want to go shopping or sight-seeing, can everyone ELSE stay home??? Please? It'd be a lot more enjoyable for me.
I'm not a major germ-o-phobe, but just a little bit I guess. So the thought of riding on a crowded train is bad enough, but when the subway (otherwise known as the tube here) car slid up in front of us, I think I puked in my mouth just a little bit. It wasn't as bad as I thought I guess. Only once did I start to have a germ anxiety attack and that was when some guy stood near me hacking up his lungs and complaining about his throat killing him. I thought of swine flu and promptly pushed Mike, who was holding Cody to the other side and tried to germ block with my body. Dude was lucky I didn't have a big can of lysol in my bag... seriously. Damn camera takes up too much room!
At any rate, we got to visit London and Norwich (my fave to this day) and a castle priory and hang out around here, and the base, and Thetford....so all in all, lots of stuff packed into just a few days. The boys LOVED having Aunt SteFFF-inny and Gwanny here for certain!
After they left, at the ungodly hour they had to leave at, I tried to get the boys back to sleep, but it only worked for a short time. Damn. Then we went upstairs to the guest rooms and Kade walks in the one Shannon was in and says, "Yep...Granny's not here." and then mosies over to the one Steph was in and says, "Yeah...... Aunt Steppp-inny is gone to Texas too."
Somehow, that was that. Why is it that when I am expecting the worst, they take things the best? Like...the flight over here for instance? Maybe I should be more pessimistic about my kids more often!!!
They did good though, exceptionally well considering the going, going, going and not as much sleeping, sleeping, sleeping. They were beginning to wear down there at the end. We're still trying to get back in sync now. I'd been adjusting their sleep anyway, not on purpose, I intended to wait till after the visit, but the boys decided to do it for me. So they are actually still tired and still adjusting along with the adjustments. Adjustments? Yeah...that basically means NO NAP for ANYONE. Yikes. I dreaded this day. Kade's about to be in school full time in just over a month ( we honestly need not focus on that at the time though, I"m not ready) so there will not be naps so I'm trying to prep him and Cody...well, he's just done apparently. I've found though, that as much as I do need them to nap in the day for a break, maybe it's kinda nice for them to just go to bed earlier for then I have a really long stretched out break w/out anything else. It would be great, I could get SO much done, alas, I find my body making its way to that huge comfy mattress completely and totally ignoring my brain telling it to do otherwise.
I guess I have to adjust myself as well. I'm sure that after 31 years of not sleeping, even I need to keep at this bedtime adjustment bit for quite awhile before I get it just right. It's better.
Speaking of, here it's nearly midnight though. I was nearly asleep, but then remembered that I don't *think* I locked my car, and Mike forgot his phone downstairs (alarm clock) and somehow I ended up at the computer checking on that gorgeous kitchen hutch I'm coveting, and then my blog was opened up in front of me somehow...
Is that like sleep walking? Body snatchers? (Oh hell if that is the case, can I PLEASE get that one back I used to have about 6.5 years ago???). That'd be great thanks.

Anyway, I will have plenty of photos to share and cutesy stories to go along as well. No worries.
We had a fabulous time guys and miss you and everyone else back home tons! Soooo glad y'all could come and we got to share a bit of our current "home" with y'all!

Okay. I'm off to lock the car, get the phone, grab something to drink, and then go back to sleep w/ no further stops on the way. Hey, trust me...just remembering all that at once is impressive enough, the fact that I will actually DO it all as well is all the more shocking! Yay new me!

Until ... I, uh, type again?!

just call me giddy

It is a rare thing to call me, but it is just the right thing to call me in this instance. Why? You might be asking this, with an edge of fear, for it is often something folks just might fear coming from me. Nope I'm just so excited I can hardly see straight...BECAUSE.... in SIX DAYS. SIX!!!! Just six whole days, I will be sitting here at my house, my house in ENGLAND with Shannon and Stephanie!!!!!!!
I knew they'd come to visit at some point, but was not expecting it quite so soon, but I couldn't be more excited!
I wish they could stay for a whole MONTH at least, because I hardly know how we'll fit it all into a week, but we will surely manage!!! The boys have been so worked up over it, I doubt they even believe us anymore since we've been talking about it for so long now!
I honestly look most forward to them seeing the boys for the first time at the airport. They are going to absolutely FLIP OUT over how enormous they are!!!
We have so much to see and do that, obviously... not that anyone would be surprised anyway, I surely doubt I'll be posting! Okay well I might try to sneak in with a couple of pics during the visit if I can, but who knows!
I'm just so excited though!
I can't believe it! In itself its just an enormous gift to have them visiting, the story behind it makes it all the more awesome and amazing and well I need to check my thesaurus because I"m running out of words here.
I just can't wait! Everyone is going to have SO much fun! I know everyone is going to be DOG-TIRED when it's all over with, but well...they can rest on the plane ride home and we can sleep in around here!
Love you guys and honestly just can't WAIT to see y'all!!!!