August 18, 2013

This week at church we learned that some of our friends will be returning back home to the Philippines.  While this is good news for them, we will miss them.  The Hansens decided to host a little get together for them on Monday so we could have a chance to spend some time together and say goodbye.  Justin and Ryan were thrilled with the news that they would get to go over to Cyrus' house to play.

Monday morning I received a call from Sienna.  She had caught the stomach bug and was not feeling up to having people over at her house.  She asked if we would be willing to have it at our house instead.  We have a big enough house and live across the street, so it made sense and I could see no reason why we couldn't have it here.  Sure the boys would be going to bed a bit later than usual, but no big deal.

It was nice to have everyone over and have the chance to talk.  The Reeses decided to wow us with their mind reading ability.  We put out nine DVDs on the table and had Elder Reese leave the room.  We choose which DVD we wanted to be "it" and called him back in.  His wife would point to different DVDs and he would have to say when we got to the chosen DVD.  I knew how it was done, so I went out next.  As people caught on, they would go out and take a turn reading her mind to determine which was the chosen DVD.  Finally, Justin shouted out that he knew how it was done.  People were pretty impressed with him until he explained.  He told everyone that it wasn't really mind reading, but some kind of trick like a magic trick.  Everyone laughed and laughed and he didn't get what was so funny.

Next we played fruit basket and the boys had so much fun.  Justin had such an expression of joy and triumph on his face when he would get a seat ahead of someone else.  He also enjoyed being it, so really he couldn't lose.  Ryan laughed and had fun too.  In fact, the next day he asked if our family could play the game.  I told him that four people really wasn't a big enough group for that game and that he could find a different game that we could play instead.

On Tuesday I got up early when Ryan came in to get me at about 4 AM.  He said that his stomach hurt.  Sure enough, later that day he was puking.  Joy.  At least he seems to know when it is coming and was able to get in into something rather than all over the floor like Justin does.  He needed a lot of extra cuddles that day.  He seemed back to normal by evening except he wasn't hungry. 

Wednesday Cyrus came over to play for a couple of hours.  The boys had a good time, but Justin sometimes gets frustrated with some of the things Cyrus does.  Cyrus is often guilty of the offense which boils down to the fact that he acts like a three year old.  Since he IS a three year old, there really isn't much to do about it.  After about 2 1/2 hours they were getting to the point where there was going to be a meltdown soon. I called Sienna to come get Cyrus so they could part on good terms.  Of course when she came Cyrus did not want to go and my boys did not want him to go.

The rest of the week was pretty much routine.  We aren't very exciting people.  We spent time playing outside in the back and riding bikes and scooters in the front.  I can often get yard work done while the boys entertain themselves.

Friday I got a call from a woman who just moved here with her family.  She said that she has a 10 and a 7 year old and wanted to know if my kids were interested in meeting her boys.  Well of course they are!  Justin heard me talking on the phone, so even though we weren't getting together until Saturday, he wanted to walk to find their house.  I wasn't exactly sure where it was, so we ended up walking the long way.  It was about a ten minute walk and you would think that I was torturing my children.  It was in the 90s, but there was a nice breeze.  We were able to walk back in just over half of that time because I knew where we lived and had no trouble getting back.

Saturday morning the boys were anxious to meet their new friends.  I was a bit less optimistic because of the age difference of the ten year old.  Can I just say that the four of them had a blast!  The boys are going over there on Monday, we will see them at the Embassy kids' outing next Wednesday, and then they will come here again on Friday.  Once school starts the older boy will likely find friends his own age, but I think that at least Justin will still spend time with them at school and probably at other times too.  I sure hope so.  It is nice for the kids to have other people to play with.

Saturday afternoon I told the boys to show Rob how they have gotten better on bikes and the scooter.  Justin rode the balance bike and I was able to convince him to let me take the training wheels off of his bike.  Guess who rode down the hill and then back up!  I was so excited.  He has a ways to go before he can do it without having to think about it so much, but I am just thrilled that he can do it.  I didn't think he would ever learn because he doesn't like to take risks in front of other people.  Both boys are getting better on the scooter too.  Yay!

Ryan was in desperate need of a haircut.  Rob assured me that even if I really messed up that Ryan is only four years old and would not be scarred for life.  I got off a lot of hair and think that he will feel much better.  I am still not brave enough to just shave it off like Justin's.  I think with his big forehead he would look strange.  I also worry that it would make him look even older.  Ryan's hair isn't bad enough that people will stop and stare, but Rob said that he would be really upset if he had paid money for a cut like that.  I agree.  Maybe next month when it has grown out a bit I will take him to the Embassy for a haircut.  I got a picture of the hair I cut off, but I forgot to take a pic of him before bed.

Journey to Armenia

SPOKANE TO MINNEAPOLIS (Sunday)

Sunday, June 16th we celebrated Father's Day by leaving the US and starting out journey to Armenia. I was happy that we did not have an early morning flight.  Never good to start a long trip already tired.  It took forever to check in for some reason, and even then they didn't give us all of our boarding passes.  We were given boarding passes for our first flight and a receipt that I was told would work as boarding passes for our second flight.  As the last leg of the trip was operated by Air France and not a code share flight, I was out of luck for the time being.  Fine.  We were allowed 6 suitcases and I checked four.  One suitcase was between half and one pound overweight so I had to throw something from it into another bag.  I thought about pulling out the packed suitcase within a suitcase and making them check 6 bags for me, but I didn't want to have to deal with any more luggage than necessary.    We made it through security without any problems thanks to my easy to remove shoes and the fact that we had no liquids, gels, laptops, etc.  It was hard to say good-bye to Grandma and Papa, but the boys were bouncing off the walls with excitement that we were going to see Daddy at last.

Our flight was delayed since the incoming flight was delayed.  The Spokane Airport is not a very exciting place to hang out, but we managed to wait without mishap even though I did not take out any of the things I had packed to entertain the boys.

Ready for the big trip!  Now we just need the plane to arrive so we can get on it.

As we approached Minneapolis, we were further delayed as we had to circle awhile.  Thunderstorms were making flying conditions a bit interesting.  Much grumbling was heard as a possible diversion to another airport was mentioned.  We were able to land in Minneapolis, but the bumps caused many gasps and squeals.  Ryan was delighted by the fun ride.  There was applause as we finally landed.

Once in Minneapolis we hurried so we could get our boarding passes for the Air France flight.  We were in a hurry to do that and catch our flight.  We waited in a huge line.  It seemed that our flight to Paris was delayed.  Good news: Easy to get our boarding passes (including the passes needed for the flight to Paris since they receipt was worthless).  Bad news: We were going to have less than an hour in Paris before our last flight.  Time to wait for boarding.

iPads at the airport make waiting a little less boring.  Ryan goes for the iPod though since it has his games on it.

MINNEAPOLIS TO PARIS (Sunday/Monday)

I am happy to say that this was a rather uneventful flight.  I wish that Justin and Ryan had slept at the same time, but they were well behaved so I shouldn't complain.  Ryan slept for a great deal of the flight, but of course Justin didn't think that sleep was really very necessary.  They had been excited to see "Wreck It Ralph" on the plane and of course it had to be one of the selections that didn't play very well.  We had power at our seats so I let the boys use the ipod and tablet as much as they wanted on the flight without worrying that we would "need" them later and have them drained.

There were some movies that I wouldn't have minded watching, but Les Mis just doesn't work on a plane.  One of the others I would have liked seeing was not playing very well.  I decided to try to rest and went for TV sit-coms rather than anything that would require brain power.

As we neared Paris, we were informed that the airport was closed due to weather.  Justin pointed out that on the flight map we were moving away from Paris.  He kept misunderstanding the message (in French) to remain seated as we were having an emergency.  Kind of exciting for a child who dreams of a crash landing with the slides and/or the rafts.  Unfortunately, it just meant a bumpy ride.  Thankfully, we were able to land in Paris.  Five more minutes and it would have been off to some other airport.

We landed in Paris to find that our plane was already boarding.  We hurried down the moving sidewalks and up and down escalators and then rode the train.  We had to dump out water bottles and go through security and then on more moving sidewalks to our gate.  I pulled out our boarding passes (very grateful that we had been able to get them!) and we were among the last passengers on the plane.  A man offered to switch seats so we could all sit together.  We were tired and sweaty, but we made it.

Then came the announcement.  Yep, our flight was delayed.  Justin was a bit annoyed with me and asked why we had to hurry so much if we were only going to wait on the plane.  Would have been nice if we hadn't been dashing through the terminal like wild animals, but sure beats waiting for the next flight, especially since they only have four flights per week.

PARIS TO YEREVAN (Monday)

Another uneventful flight.  I thought I was going to puke when they served dinner.  Not only was my body telling me it was not time for dinner, but I am not a seafood fan to begin with.  Thank goodness for lots of crusty bread and butter.  The boys ate from my stash of snacks.  Plenty of battery life for watching shows for five hours.

We landed in Yerevan and got right up to immigration.  I swear it was just as slow as in Namibia.  We had our diplomatic passports and our visas, so how long does it really need to take?  Longer than my kids can stand still when they know Daddy is so close.

Our luggage was already going around the carousel when we got there.  The man who had switched seats on the plane said he was going to get us a cart and refused when I offered him money.  Not like the carts are expensive, but it was nice to have someone bring a cart over and help hoist up the suitcases.  He says that his wife often travels alone with their children and that people are always kind to her and he knows that it makes things a lot easier.  Customs is basically non-existent, so once we presented our luggage receipts we were able to go out and see Daddy waiting for us!

YEREVAN

Almost 9:00 PM local time and I have no idea what times our bodies thought it was.  I sat up front with the driver and Rob sat in the back with the boys who talked to him the entire trip.  They had to take turns and they had so much to say.  It isn't the most scenic drive from the airport to our house.  It was getting dark and many of the buildings were dull and dreary looking with bright lights.  Lots of casinos and clubs that made it a bit depressing.  Kind of reminded me of a cross between a less populated Chinese city and an Eastern European city of the past.

Pulling up to our house was great.  Sure there were (or should I say are) boxes everywhere and things are a general mess, but the journey was over.  Unlike the boys, I was ready for sleep.  They slept very little that first night.  Rob spent a lot of the night up with them and estimates Justin slept for less than two hours.  I am just glad that they are old enough to be told to play with my phone or watch a show.

TUESDAY

Rob had to go off to work.  The boys and I had plenty of food and definitely a lot of work before us.  It seems like every time I would go to put something away I would create a bigger mess.  I moved some furniture around and focused on the boys' rooms.  That seemed like the easiest in terms of furniture placement and unpacking.  The boys needed encouragement to stay awake throughout the day.  I spent a lot of time playing with them and taking little walks around the block.  Wouldn't you know, of all the nights, Rob had to work late.  The boys both fell asleep before he got home.  Poor Ryan fell asleep eating dinner.

An American neighbor on our street brought over some rice crispies treats.  Yum!  She brought over a lot and we enjoyed them.  It's nice to have a couple of other American families from Rob's work living nearby.

Lots of stuff to unpack and put away.

 

 

WEDNESDAY

Wednesday was not as productive as Tuesday.  The boys had slept well, but I have an annoying cough that makes it hard for me to sleep even though I am tired.  The excitement of seeing their things again had worn off enough that the boys really struggled with staying awake.

I tried really hard to keep the boys awake, but they both managed to sneak away for a bit of a rest.

 

 

Sometimes the boys actually get along with each other.

Ryan hard at work at his desk.

THURSDAY

Thursday was a lot like Wednesday.  My cough was super annoying and I feared that I would lose my voice.  Since our stuff has been in boxes for months, we have been washing the dishes before putting them away.  It means that it takes a lot of time to get much done and it sure doesn't look like any progress is being made.  Nothing is packed in a logical manner so much running up and down the stairs is required.  Guess what that does to my cough?

View from Ryan's room includes Mount Ararat.  The house on the background on the right makes me think of the model home on Arrested Development.  Maybe they manufactured homes in Armenia too.

FRIDAY

Friday afternoon the CLO took me and the boys downtown to walk around and to go to the grocery store.  Downtown is interesting.  I am not sure what it reminds me of.  I think it is the kind of place I would enjoy wandering around on my own, much as I wandered around Shenyang, China.  It is not a place that is fun to explore with the boys.  Traffic is crazy, it is somewhat crowded, and of course they are bored.  I don't know how much time I will end up spending there.  Maybe once both boys are in school I will have time alone to do that.

The grocery store was interesting.  I don't know what I was expecting.  Not a huge supermarket like in the US, but I had known that.  The produce seemed really hit and miss.  The cherries were in season and around $1.25 US per kilo.  They are quite delicious too.  The pears, which were also quite good, were just over $1 US each.  Produce will vary according to season and when it is really out of season probably not an option at any price.  It will take awhile to discover what is and isn't available and how it is priced.  Milk is expensive, sour cream is cheap, yogurt about the same as the US.  Bread is cheap and good, but not suitable for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Rob has become quite the bread maker for us though and we appreciate it.  Online grocery ordering is available from one store with only about $1.25 US for delivery charge.  It has an English website so that is very helpful.  It is hard to guess what some of the things in the store are.  At least this way you know what you are getting.

This is Republic Square.  Didn't have the chance to take pictures because I had to keep my eye on the boys.

SATURDAY

Pretty laid back day.  The boys craved their time with Dad.  Having Rob home meant I could get furniture moved that I hadn't been able to move myself.  We talked about plans for some of the rooms.  We have done a lot, but I don't think it looks much better than the day I arrived!  Some stuff gets moved from room to room rather than actually put away.  It is kind of like a puzzle.  For example, when looking for our cordless phones we found the handsets and batteries in one location, the chargers in another, and the cords for the chargers in yet another location.  When digging out these items from various boxes it gets ugly quickly.

Even though Justin hates having to leave the house, we went for a little walk to his school.  We are super close so that is going to be nice.  We also walked to a nearby mini mart and had an ice cream cone.

SUNDAY

Took a cab to church since we don't have our car registered yet nor do we have insurance or driver's licenses.  The boys thought it was pretty cool to ride in a taxi, at least for the first 5 seconds.  There were 16 total people (including our family) in our English speaking International congregation.  We meet the same time as Armenian congregation.  I am grateful that there are other people who speak English since I don't know any Armenian.

Our furniture has been inventoried so tomorrow it will be back to the ever exciting task of putting things away, or at least moving them from one place to another.

Leaving Namibia

Rob has been working a lot lately, but fortunately he did not have to work this weekend. :)  This is our last Saturday in Namibia together as a family.  Wednesday the boys and I will leave for Idaho. 

We started out going to Vintage for brunch, but they appeared to be having a party there so we went for plan b.  We drove on to Avis Dam to walk around a bit and, of course, to throw rocks into the water.  We saw so many pelicans there today.  The boys enjoyed themselves, but I was grossed out by all of the dead fish.  They were washed up on the ground and floating in the water.  Yuck!  A lot of them were small, but one was as big as my arm.  I know I don't know anything about fishing, but when I saw people fishing in the area I thought they were insane.

Some of the lovely fish floating in the water.

Fish on the shore.  I had to point them out to the boys.  They were clueless and I was afraid that they would pick one up when they were trying to choose a rock to toss in the water.

Dad and the boys

Mom and the boys.  Love the windblown hair.

Hmmm, can't really tell that they are pelicans from this pic.  I didn't want to get too close though because it smelled so bad from the dead fish.

After Avis Dam we went to go get ice cream.  There is a sign for ice cream that we drive by eery week on our way home from church.  I don't know how many times Justin has asked if we could go there sometime.  Today was sometime.  We found a parking space and went to the shop only to find that they didn't have any ice cream.  Rob knew of another place, so we drove over to Wernhill Park and walked over only to find that it is closed on the weekends.  Fortunately, we were able to have another place.  We ended up skipping the boring ole ice cream cone for more elaborate items.  Ice cream for lunch!

We also ate out at Spur for the last time.



The boys with Miss Mathilde.  It was sad to have her clean our house for the last time.  We will miss her.

We also went to the petting zoo for the last time.  Ryan cried when we left.  He says the animals will miss him.



I think that ostriches look so funny when they sit (or whatever you call it).

Ryan likes feeding the sheep more than the goats.  Sheep aren't as aggressive.  We also got to see a one week old baby lamb.

Meerkat sentry keeping watch.  I doubt there are a lot of predators at the petting zoo.



The goats never stay put.

Ryan was able to get his Tadpole 3 badge this week.  The boys have come so far over the course of their swimming lessons.  I hope they are able to continue.

Ryan on his back.

Packers come on Monday. Tuesday will be our last day for swimming lessons and our last time to attend playgroup.  Wednesday we are off on our 30 plus hour journey.

The Spirit of Giving Through Regifting

This year we have taken a new approach (at least for us) on the idea of regifting. We have been here in Namibia for less than a month. There are all sorts of expenses associated with moving into a new home. We have been stocking up on food basics (flour, sugar, salt, spices, pretty much EVERYTHING!), cleaning supplies, pool toys :), outlet adapters (I HATE the stupid plugs here), bath mats, door mats, and a million more little things that add up. Everyone thinks of Africa as a cheap place to live, but let me tell you Namibia is NOT a cheap place at all. So anyway, our focus is on getting the things we need to try to get settled in.
BEFORE we came out here, we also spent a lot of money on things like a wii and some games, a bike for Rob, some food from Costco, toys for the boys, clothes, upgrades to Windows 7 and some other software, and heaven only knows what else. It isn't like we haven't bought anything. Some of the things could have been Christmas presents if we had waited.
So now Christmas is going to be here in a couple of days. The boys are taken care of, but Rob and I did not buy anything for each other. My mom and dad got us some things from our Amazon wish list (Thanks, Mom!), but other than those three gifts we have nothing under the tree. No big deal for us, but I suddenly worried about what Justin will think. Big three year old that he now is, he might actually be upset about that. He doesn't let a thing get by him. This is where the regifting comes in. I found some earrings and a bracelet in my jewelry box that Rob will help Justin wrap up for me. I grabbed a book, swim goggles, and a new comb from one of Rob's unpacked boxes and Justin helped me wrap those up yesterday. My sister sent me a book that she just finished reading and I will have Rob give that to me. (You don't mind, do ya Mer?) I need to grab something small that I can wrap for Rob from me. Justin and Tiny each have a present to give to each other too, but theirs are actually new things.
Silly, it might seem, to wrap things that we already own. Rob and I really don't care. I mean do you think he will be excited to get the goggles he bought before Justin was already born? Well, he might be if he forgot he had them, but that isn't the point. Justin was so excited to wrap something up for his dad. He will be thrilled to see Rob open the present and oooh and aaah over it. I guess in our regifting the real present we will receive is seeing the smile on Justin's face and enjoying the excitement of our kids. Cheesy, perhaps, but true.

Back in the USA

Well, we have been back in the States for about a week and a half now. I think we are on the correct time zone. Who's to say though? Neither of my boys are known for their outstanding sleep habits. Right now it is after 11:00 PM and Tiny is not showing any signs of being sleepy. Why don't my boys need more sleep? We are also still fighting colds that we caught soon after our arrival. Nothing like snotty noses, sore throats, and coughs to make sure we don't get a full night's sleep.

One of my friends gave Tiny a little xylophone. He LOVES it, which means that Justin also loves it. When Tiny doesn't sleep, at least he gets a chance to play with some of the toys his brother always takes away from him!

At least our trip over was uneventful. Check in at the airport in Tokyo was a breeze. The Embassy driver parked the van in the loading zone and helped get our bags inside. He was even able to say something that got us to a check in counter that didn't have a line. Once past security we found a play area where Justin and Tiny were happily entertained until it was time to board the plane.
Now it is probably impossible for a nine plus hour flight with a nine month old and a 2 1/2 year old to be fun, but it wasn't bad. I spent most of the flight holding Tiny. He hates his car seat. He was fairly content and even slept some of the time for me. Justin slept restlessly when he slept. At one point he screamed for apple juice, but I don't know that he was awake. I think it was just another episode of him talking in his sleep. I had a bag full of things for the boys to play with, but the winner by far was the green stretch tube that my mom had sent. We didn't even get to most of the airplane toys. That means I can use them on other segments of our trip. Behold the great stretch tube! Maybe I should buy a dozen for Christmas and wrap them up separately.

Arrival in Seattle meant customs and a five hour layover before our forty minute flight to Spokane. The boys were decent human beings, but five hours is a long time and the Seattle airport is one of my least favorites. I think it has all the inconveniences and annoyances of a large airport without very many of the benefits. It does have a small play area. We basically spent our time there and the food court.

My parents were awaiting us in Spokane and we drove back (in two cars because of all the luggage) to their home. Finally able to rest. Thank heaven for grandmas!

Today Rob and I took the kids to the lake. They had a great time. It took Justin awhile to decide to try out the water, but Tiny was ready from the start. He loves the water and screams when he has to get out.

Final Countdown

We are in our final few days in Tokyo. In under two weeks our adventure here will be complete. The movers have finished packing us out and I am ready to go now! We still have Internet and cable, so if it weren't for the kids this could be a rather relaxing time for me. Not a lot of responsibilities for me right now. The kids make the difference. Justin, once excited about the move, is now not so thrilled. How dare they put his toys on the truck! He keeps asking where a certain toy is and then letting us know that he does not want it to go on the slow boat to Namibia. A little late for that now. With so little in the house it would seem sensible to find things out of the house to do. Whenever we are out, Justin is anxious to get back home to Harris Tower. When I had someone watch Tiny for a few hours, Justin was frantic. He did not like having his brother gone. He was relieved when I "found" him again. We have gone over and over that mommies come back and that everyone in the Weber family will go on the big airplane together. He gets it somewhat. He can tell people all about what we are doing and is excited about seeing family and friends. The reality of seeing his things disappear is a bit unsettling for him though. Just wait until further reality hits him. 1. There is NOT snow at Grandma and Papa's house right now. There was when we left in February, and he seems to think it should still be there. 2. Our house in Namibia will not look anything like the duplo model he built.

We will miss the produce vendors who come each week. They think Justin is so cute (obviously don't live with him) and shower him with free extras--oranges, bananas, peaches, grapes...

Tiny will miss Eli, his baby buddy and brother of Justin's friend, Lucas. Justin has made a lot of friends here. I hope that he is able to make some new ones when we get settled in Africa. They won't live as close as they do here! We won't have such a great playground to play on either, though we will have a yard and a pool. Ryan is just getting to the point where he gets excited when he sees the swing. He likes to swing with Justin. Note the cicadas making all the background noise in the video!

We finally made it to the Meiji Shrine. It isn't very far, so it was something that got put off for one reason or another. Justin's favorite part was the gravel. Our least favorite part was temperature heat index above 100. Ugh! On our way back home we stopped for lunch--at Wendy's. Justin was happy with his frosty, ketchup, and fries. Tiny was content to chew on a straw. Rob and I were just glad to have a cool place to sit that would accommodate us and our two rather lively children.

How can Justin manage to be such an angel one minute and such a devil the next? I was surprised to see this picture of Justin in the lamb costume. It isn't that he dislikes costumes, just it means he had to stop moving for five seconds to get it on! We are on week 9 of summer camp. It is our last week. :( Next week the movers come! So much to do still.
Justin is starting to get into the whole moving thing. We are the proud owners of a step 2 playhouse. Some people brought it with them when they moved to Japan and found that they have no room for it. We don't have room for it here either, but we will in Namibia! Justin is anxious to get to Namibia and put the thing together. Rob said that the playhouse will not be leaving Namibia. I guess there will be a lucky school, daycare, or family who inherits it next. At almost 300 pounds it is quite the item! I think the boys will have a blast with it.
I continue to have a regular helper in the kitchen. Prep times take at least twice as long with his assistance. I try to get as much done as I can while he is at school.

Justin has made lots of friends here. He looks forward to seeing them at school or at the playground. It is going to be hard for him to leave them. I don't know that he will have the chance to play with kids as much in Namibia. I guess we will figure all of that out once we get there and settled in a little bit.

We had an earthquake last night (Sunday). It was a 7.1, probably the biggest we have had during our two years here. The funny thing is I didn't even feel it. Well, that isn't exactly true. I felt it, but I thought it was just me until Rob pointed it out. I developed a horrible headache on Saturday evening and turned to benedryl, one of the few things a nursing mother can take, to try to keep it under control. Puking, resting, and keeping doped up on benedryl made me feel much better, but I felt a bit off balance and tipsy all day. I went upstairs to check on Justin (already in bed but not asleep yet) and he told me that his toys were falling down. Can't pull one over on him. Didn't seem to phase him.

The thunder and lightening we had on Friday evening had him a bit uneasy. I decided to make the thunder less scary and more fun. Justin and I donned our rain boots and other rain apparel and headed out into the pouring rain to splash in the puddles. And splash we (mostly he) did! He had a blast. I regretted that I didn't have my camera. I don't know that it would have taken any quality pictures in the dark and rain though. We developed the ritual of giving each other a high five each time we heard the thunder. I came up with the theory that the louder the thunder, the more rain we would get to splash in. Justin loves thunder now.
Tiny is crawling all over the place. I think he would rather be walking though. That will come soon enough. He is now 8 months old. I can't believe how fast my little baby is growing up. Soon he and Justin really will be able to get together and plot against me.