Just Some Cute Pics

Grady in his helicopter shirt from Nana.

I believe this is some sort of "scissor-hold" Grady is performing-- mid-snooze-- on Max.
So funny....that I get so sweaty my hair looks like this the rest of the day.
I don't mind him playing with dolls, but I draw the line at pink Hello Kitty boots.

Keeping Busy

Since there is a lot less stuff to do when you live in 600 sq ft and only brought 4 toys, I checked out the Toddler's Busy Book from the library to get some creative ideas to entertain Grady (and more importantly, have Grady entertain himself for a few minutes). Here is what we have been doing.

At playgroup, Grady was interested in playing with a doll, (he was so careful to carry the doll like you would carry a baby, even though he was carrying a ball at the same time), so we made a bed for his Raggedy Andy doll at home. He loved putting him in there and feeding him milk. (When he spilled it on his collar he said, "Raggy Anny thow up." ) He tried to take off Andy's clothes when Andy had a "dirty biper". He took RA to his own bed, sang him a song and turned on the sound machine for "night night". Hopefully he will be so sweet to his little sister!

Bowling!

When all else fails, watch the people working on the heavy machinery outside.

We also have enjoyed the water park and indoor play area in a nearby town.

Sightseeing

The base has some neat places to explore, like this cave and a river.

Pachiwals and Coke

Thursday night, Alex's class had a cookout. We, of course, took Grady, and he had a great time. The guys would try to throw a football, kick a soccer ball,or toss a baseball, but Grady would usually end up monopolizing the ball. They were good sports to play with him.

Being that no one planned for a toddler to attend the event, they only had beer and Cokes to drink (and Grady's water bottle was really far away). I gave him some tiny sips of my Coke--maybe one of his first times having Coke. But later on, not knowing I had giving Grady a little Coke already, Alex gave him "some" too:

So we had a hot, sweaty toddler, hopped up on Coke, and desperate to sit on a "pachiwal" (his word for a motorcycle, bicycle, tricycle, or popsicle.)There were a couple of motorcycles at the cookout, and one of the classmates put Grady on them. Now Grady thinks he should be able to sit on random vehicles even more than he did before! Thanks, guy!

The State of Misery...I mean Missouri

Just kidding! It's not that bad. The weather has been great- high 70s, low 80s. Here are some photos of our new home. Our front yard- Grady's dream, especially when they are working. We had a picnic on the porch to watch the "didders" and bulldoders".
Do not try this at home. Not for safety reasons, but because your child might also constantly beg to sit on everything with wheels he sees. (Literally. We pass a bulldozer parked on the highway, "Sit on it, mom", or pass by a tank on base-and there are MANY, "Sit on it, Mom.") At least by now, a week later, he doesn't throw a fit because I say "no".
I brought my bike thinking Grady and I could enjoy a leisurely bike ride around the neighbor hood, but quickly realized this might have been a waste of effort.A large gravelly hill to our left and a muddy hill to our right. They do not look as steep as they are. The inside of our place is nice- new construction, but only 600 sq.ft. We get to spend extra time with Grady as he is sharing a room with us. Here is Ft.Nightnight.

And, yes, that is a camo bedspread. We forgot to bring a blanket or bedspread, so we are using the one from Alex's gear.

There are lots of things to do with Grady in the community, including a ton of parks,

water parks and sprinklers. Most of them are free, or very cheap! Now if they would just cut down on the obnoxious 8 yr olds who run over my poor baby.
There is also some nice scenery near our apartment. The are a few rivers and caves that we are going to explore this weekend. Now all we need is some friends...but we have a cookout and I have a girls' night coming up, so hopefully that will be a start!

Pre-Move Drama

In the midst of getting ready for our trip--including packing all of our valuables...

Grady had his first trip to the ER! Our sweet friends Gray and Seth were having a going away party for us, and Grady fell and hit his head. Have you ever seen your child's face completely covered in blood? Very scary! We went to a nearby emergency clinic, got Grady glued back together, and were back at the party within the hour! The next day, Grady wanted to apply the band aid himself (the actual injury is in his hair.)