I miss my boy...

Okay, okay...he hasn't even been gone 24 hours, but I already miss Logan like crazy. I've never been a fan of leaving the boys with babysitters or letting them spend the night with other people. I just think they're "safer" when they're with me. It took all the willpower within me at the airport yesterday to not play 20 questions with the airline workers. You know...like, in the event of an emergency, is someone going to actually CARE for my child? I just pictured that other plane landing in the middle of that river and how they were talking about water filling the back of the plane and picking up kids...was someone going to pick up my kid? What if there was a need to land somewhere other than Detroit? Was someone going to watch my kid until he could get on another plane? Would they feed him? Find him an electrical outlet to charge his DS? Let him call his mother?

Tyler tracked Logan's flight on my iPad most of the afternoon. It always said IN FLIGHT. What else would it say? CRASHING? IN GREAT LAKE? SEARCHING NOW? I was only relieved when it finally said LANDED-45 minutes after its scheduled landing. I don't know what I would have done if both the boys had been on the plane together. Ed would've committed me.

Of course, Logan called as soon as he got to his grandma, and hearing how excited he was made me happy that he was there. Now I can relax until next Thursday, when we get to do it all again. Until then, I'll try not to worry about every time he gets in a vehicle and on a road in Michigan.

Football Camp

Logan had such a great time at football camp this week. It was put on by some current and former NFL players and was held at UCCS. Ed and I liked the way they also focused on character traits, instead of just football skills. I have never seen Logan more motivated than he was this week. He was ready to go every morning and never complained even once of being too hot or tired. We got to watch him scrimmage on Friday, and he did so well. I can't believe how big he is. He starts tackle football on August 1st, so we'll get to see him put his new skills to work.

Pikes Peak

One of the most fantastic things about living in Colorado Springs is the amazing view every morning out our windows of Pikes Peak. We decided to take the boys up there as part of my Cayson's birthday. Logan, Tyler, and Tanner went to the top a couple of years ago when my parents came up to visit. It was the end of May, but by the time the cog made it to the top, the winds were blowing over 50mph sometimes, and the windchill was below zero! It was snowing like crazy and once we got up to a certain elevation, you couldn't see anything. Logan and Tyler-between living in Germany and Colorado-are used to brutal cold, so the snow and wind in their faces didn't bother them so much. Tanner-on the other hand-panicked and was insisting that he couldn't breathe! It was quite the ordeal!

This time was much better though, as you can tell by the pictures. Instead of winter coats, scarves, and gloves, all we needed were some sweatshirts and long pants. The temperature was 38degrees at the summit, but it wasn't all that bad. A thunderstorm had just passed through, so I think that's why it was cooler. We didn't realize how much stuff was at the summit because when we went before, it was snowing like crazy and everything was covered in snow and ice. So, it was nice to see more this time. The boys had some hot chocolate and donuts before we got on the cog to head back down. We had so much fun!



At the summit

My heart was racing while I was taking this picture. I was petrified of someone falling off!

Some pictures from the summit and the train.

More pictures from the train...we did not see all of this on our first trip a couple of years ago!

How times flies...

I think it has almost been a YEAR since the last time I posted--an entire year! So much as happened. I started-and finished-my first year of teaching second grade. I'll try to post some pictures from this school year later. Logan and Tyler had a phenomenal year, as well. I cannot believe Logan is starting middle school next year! I can still see his sweet little 2-year old face smiling at me. And Tyler-what a mess he is! He always has something going on in his head. He actually reminds me so much of Greg. They both earned excellent grades, and Tyler won the Accelerate Reader award for all of second grade 3 out of 4 times this year. We are very proud of both of them. These are their school pictures.

I am so blessed to have such sweet little boys to call my own. And-we are so lucky to have Ed in our lives to fill the void that was left when Greg died. I am so happy to he was willing to take on such an enormous responsibility-one that a lot of men would have turn their back on. We love him so much.

Well, I'm really going to try to catch up on what's been going on around here. I have pictures from Logan's graduation, Tyler's soccer, some trips, and other things that I would love to share!

Logan's Birthday Party

Even though Logan doesn't officially turn 9 until the end of July, we went ahead and let him hav ehis birthday party so he could invite his school friends. It's hard when you have a summer birthday to get in touch with classmates, so we gave in. He had a great time at Pump It Up with his friends.

Logan in the birthday chair. I think this was what he was looking forward to!

Logan with his cake...there are 9 Bakugan on it. He was so happy!

Ed after he raced Drew on the obstacle course. Ed won.

Logan having fun on the slide.

Happy Birthday Logan!

Our Scouting Family!

Last night was Pack 228's Graduation. Logan finally became a Webelo, and Tyler became a Tiger Cub! Logan has really enjoyed Cub Scouts, and he is the first boy in his entire pack to earn ALL of the junior ranks-Bobcat, Tiger, Wolf, and Bear. Cub Scouts is a year-round project, and Logan really enjoys it. The entire family will be taking on a much bigger role in the fall. I will be Tyler's den leader for the Tigers. Ed is the assistant Cubmaster for the pack. It will definitele be a busy year for all of us!

The new Webelos I Den

Logan receiving his Webelos neckerchief and slide

Tyler receiving his Tiger compass, signifying his entry into the pack

Logan receiving his belt loops

My two Cub Scouts!

A Day with the Little Boys...

Well, the clock is ticking to the time my little boys will hop on a plane with their Grandma Carol and go visit their family in Michigan for two whole weeks. What am I going to do without my little guys? I have never been away from them for more than 48 hours. I am pretty sure it is bothering me WAY more than it is bothering them, and I try to put on a happy face when they ask, "Is it time to go to Michigan yet?" But this will be a great chance for Greg's family to see how much they've grown and just how much they are like their daddy (and I don't mean it is always in a good way!) Plus, I will be in classes five days a week until July 10th, so this will give me ample time to get a lot of work done before they get back. Their cousins from Texas, Tanner and Cayson, will be coming to stay with us in July, so I will definitely get my "little boy fix" by the end of the month!


I wanted to spend a special day with my little guys before they head out to Michigan. I finally have a break frolm classes, but they are still in school, so it was hard to find a time (and good weather) to go out in. But we committed to a special Sunday, and we had a great day! We started out making the early church service. We were a little late, so Tyler's class was already full. He went to big church with me, and he was so great. When I told him he would have to go into the big church with me, an interesting conversation ensued:

Tyler: "Is it hard in big church?"
Me: "What do you mean?"
Tyler: "Do they make you do hard work?"
Me: "No, it's fun! We sing and listen to the pastor talk."
Tyler: "Oh, okay. As long as I don't have to do any hard work. Kindergarten church is easy."

He was so good during the service. He was amazed by all the big screens around the sanctuary and was even more impressed by the people "in the big bathtub". They were having baptism, and we were sitting so close Tyler could see the people going under the water. When we got in the car, Tyler was telling Logan about big church:

Tyler: "Big church is fun. It's so easy."
Logan: "What did you do?"
Tyler: "We sang."
Logan: "What else?"
Tyler: "We saw the people get baptized. Now they get to go to Heaven."

Wow, I guess he really was listening!

After church, we went to La Casita, and then we went swimming. It was 78 degrees, but the wind was blowing, so it didn't feel so great once you got out of the water. After about an hour, Tyler came out shivering so badly that I had to wrap him in two towels. Logan had a blast going down the water slide. Of course, I forgot my camara in the car! After swimming, we went to see the new movie Up! in 3D. It was so cute. The boys love those silly glasses. Of course, what day wouldn't be complete without a trip to Toys R Us? I let the boys pick out some new Bakugan (which I still don't understand) to take to Michigan with them. Even I left with something...an IPOD arm holder and new earplugs. My earbuds always seem to disappear...after I let little boys borrow them for their handheld games!


The night ended with dinner at Zio's. Ed was home from Bandimere where he went for a Mopar car show and drag (which, in hindsight, I realized the boys would have loved to have seen Ed race) and met us for dinner. By 7:30pm, both boys were in bed sound asleep. It was a long, but very fun day! I am really going to miss these little guys when they're in Michigan.

They ain't no Little Indian Relays...but I guess they'll do.

Logan being ever so patient...so not a Smith trait!

Tyler getting his first "talking to" by his teacher. He wasn't happy about missing the bullseye.

Tyler falling. He did a lot of this.

Logan and his teacher doing the water balloon throw. Not to take anything away from their second place finish (the teacher dropped it, for the record), but with the exception of the pair next to them, everyone else failed to follow directions and managed to break their balloons before the second toss.

Like I said...Tyler was on the ground a lot.

Another weird station...bubbleology. Not sure what the purpose of it was.

Big Sponge/Baby pool/Bucket game...see story below!

Logan did a lot better on the bullseye game than Tyler did.

Tyler during the "pick up all this crap and run across the gym without falling" game. He never fell. That was in and of itself a victory.

Logan doing the big sponge/baby pool/bucket game...seriously, read below for this crazy event!

Like I said, they ain't the Little Indian Relays, but they'll do. Today was Field Day at the boys' school. I'll admit that they had some pretty weird stations, including the Vaseline/cotton ball combo that freaked Tyler out and the big sponge/baby pool/bucket game that I'll discuss in more detail later.

As usual, Tyler is a terrible "loser". Now, it is impossible to "lose" at field day. You're on teams, you have partners, or you work as a class. When Tyler didn't immediately score for his team during the bullseye station, he lost it. His teacher had to have a "talk" with him a couple of times. After about the 5th time, Mom took over, and the threat was issued: "Either you knock this fussing off, or you're going to come with me, and we will watch Logan finish with his class." Mom 1, Tyler 0

Logan, on the other hand, had a blast. He really enjoys field day, and it was really fun to watch him play around with his classmates. He really is a great team player, but he is also a very compassionate child. One little girl fell (big sponge/baby pool/bucket game--another story in itself), and Logan completely stopped what he was doing to check on her. He is such a sweet little boy. I know he is going to grow up to be a great man one day.

I do have to talk about the big sponge/baby pool/bucket game. Let me add in the other components to this game: kids, running, and concrete. Are you thinking this was a bad idea? Me too. You also have to take into account that it was in the 50's today, and the wind was blowing pretty good. One first grader lost his balance and completely fell into the pool. Tyler cried (of course) because another kindergarten hit him with the sponge and got his Super Mario shirt wet. The little girl in Logan's class who got hurt slid on the WET CONCRETE and spent the next hour in the nurse's office. The parent volunteer running the station let Logan's 3rd grade class have 10 seconds to "do what they wanted". Really? Is it a good idea to let a group of 8 and 9 years olds loose on a pool of water and sponges to hurl at each other? Well, the sponges didn't stand a chance because these boys made a beeline and dove in...to the baby pool...on concrete. Nice. Logan didn't stand a chance. Poor guy--I grabbed him by the hoodie I forced him to wear outside (because I'm the mean mom who knew he would get cold, and he did), practically closelining him to prevent him from following his fellow classmates. Maybe this was a good time for the "if everybody jumped off a bridge, would you?" speech. But in the mind of my 8 year old, all he could see was the frolicking fun his friends were having completely soaking each other. Poor kids...their next station was in the open field. You can refer back to the temperature and the gusting wind and decide whether I was completely right for preventing my child from becoming soaking wet. Logan might not be thanking me, but I'm sure Tricare Prime is.

My sweet boys...

I wanted to share some pictures of my sweet boys. I am so sad that they are getting so big. They are such handsome little men, and I love them more than life. Even when I am in the worst mood, these boys can cheer me up. I am so happy that they are thriving here in Colorado, and that they have such a great man in their lives to help them mature into great men themselves.

My baby boy Tyler

My big-little man Logan

My Webelo!

I just wanted to let everyone know that Logan earned his Bear badge and officially becomes a Webelo this summer. We are so proud of him. It takes a lot of hard work to earn these badges, and he has done a great job. Way to go, Logan!

The Demise of the Tooth Fairy

That's right people...the Tooth Fairy no longer exists. Let me start my defense now: I was feeling sick, I was soooo tired, I had no cash on hand...okay look, I just forgot. When did I remember? The next morning as soon as I woke Logan up. He threw his pillow back and that's when it hit me.

His disappointment was obvious. I started with some excuses...you lost it so late, she had probably already left...maybe she had already come through Colorado. It wasn't working out. So I just came clean. I said, Logan, do you know who the Tooth Fairy is?" He said, "No." I pointed at myself and his eyes lit up. I told him I didn't have time to go get cash to hide under his pillow but I told him I would get it to him ASAP. The one catch--he couldn't tell his brother.

Now, did I clarify that I wasn't EVERYONE'S Tooth Fairy? I probably should have, but I didn't. I didn't want to completely traumitize the kid. However, I now find myself concerned that Logan will inform his friends that his Mom is the Tooth Fairy. Oh Lordy...

Another tooth bites the dust...

That's right people. Logan has lost yet another tooth. I was beginning to wonder if he would ever lose any teeth. Maybe it was all that Vitamin D milk he had before we went to 2%. Regardless, when he hadn't lost any teeth by second grade, I was wondering if he even had adult teeth.

I can't say that nature finally took its course about mid-year in the second grade for Logan and the teeth started coming out. Actually, it was gravity that played a big part. Gravity...speed...and the linoleum floor at his school all played a part. If you ask Logan, it was his shoes fault. Brand new shoes that he refused to wear ever again because he was so firm in his belief that the shoes had caused his misfortune.

As I was pulling into the pickup line that day, my cell phone started ringing. I could tell it was the school. About that same time, the assistant principle was flagging me down and told me to park, that Logan had an accident. Now, I will admit that I went into panic mode. I expected to find them either performing CPR on my kid or a bone sticking out somewhere. Instead I find him with an icepack on his mouth. Not so bad, right? Wrong...

Losing teeth is okay...when they're loose. None of his were. The dentist said it could take up to a year for his adult teeth to start coming through. These were major teeth...eating teeth...good picture taking teeth...talking correctly teeth. Not to mention, two other teeth were knocked loose in the process, so we had to keep our eyes open for absess and what-not.

What was Logan's main concern? The teacher was so frantic because of the blood that they rushed him to the nurse. Who knew where the teeth were. Logan knew this posed a problem...what would the tooth fairy think? I tried to assure him that his mouth was proof enough that he had indeed lost teeth. He didn't buy it. Believe it or not, his teacher found two of his teeth in the hallway and in Logan's mind, that was better than nothing.

So here we are, a year later and I've lost track of how many teeth we pulled. Tonight was the best though. He had a loose tooth and the adult was already coming in behind it. As I went to grab the tooth with a tissue Logan jerked back and told me to be careful because this tooth hurt so bad. I said I would try to be careful and opened the tissue to show the tooth that had come out when he jerked. Mission accomplished...no tears shed...thank God he wasn't wearing shoes.

Here's my dilemma...is it bad to borrow a dollar from Logan's piggy bank to trade for his tooth? If only the toothfairy did direct deposit...