Pilots and Missing Teeth

This is not a photo of our personal pilot Greg. No, it is a photo of the landscaping work that I' ve been working on this summer. As you can see, Joey is very proud of the landscaping:) Greg did get to come home for a visit on Tuesday, and we are hopeful that more short trips home are forthcoming!

Okay, Joey is still missing a big front tooth. Am I going to have to buy my child a tooth for his birthday? Do they make teeth that size for almost seven year olds? How long must we wait for that tooth to make its appearance?

I went to see Mamma Mia with some friends last night. I am still humming the theme song. Reminder-must put soundtrack in car. The movie was very cute; in fact, I would see it again. Amanda Seyfried, the actress who plays Sophie, is adorable. Meryl Streep really can sing, and Jill, you're right-Pierce should keep his shirt on (or do some manscaping). Meg, thanks for letting me sing along in your ear:)

Who Are These People?

I love online ordering! It's like Christmas when the UPS dude rings the doorbell! So far this summer, I've ordered the Wii and its accoutrements, but my latest purchase, the Brookstone iConvert Scanner, is really cool! Most of Mom and Dad’s early photos are on slides, so I bought the iConvert to scan the slides and convert them to jpeg images, which are much easier to use. I haven’t scanned many slides yet because it is a bit time consuming, but I am enjoying the process. This photo is of my parents and me sometime in 1971-the slide says September, but I know that I never got my film developed right away, so I’m not sure how accurate that date is. Based on my size, it’s probably pretty close. Anyway, I think we’re at Coney Island, because Kings Island did not open until 1972 (which also matches the ’71 date). I think that purple bear may still be in Grams’ attic.

Once I have finished converting my parents' slides, I would be happy to lend the converter to others!

By the by, Greg came home just for the day! With two scheduled days off, he decided that one day traveling and one day at home beats two days stuck in a stinky hotel room! We’re all happy about his decision J

Greg's First Flight

Greg could be in the air as we speak. His first flight was yesterday to Tucson from Phoenix. He returned to Phoenix this morning with flights planned to Colorado Springs and Long Beach, CA. I am so proud that he accomplished this very long term goal!

Off Again!

Greg leaves for Phoenix tomorrow morning to take a four-hour class. We thought he’d be right back home, but he received notice that his IOE (initial operating experience)[1] begins Friday in Phoenix and ends on Aug. 8! Just in time for Joey’s birthday:) The stinky part is that even though Greg does have a day or two off here and there, it’s not usually enough time for him to come home. He plans to try, but I’m looking at it as another 2 ½ weeks as a single parent:(

We are planning Joey’s birthday party for Aug. 10 hoping Greg will be in town for at least a couple of days before he’s off flying again. We are also trying to come up with a date to celebrate Greg’s “graduation” as a pilot combined with his 40^th birthday. It’s just a matter of finding out when he’ll actually be in town!

If you haven't read Such a Pretty Fat (or Why Pie is Not the Answer) or anything else by Jen Lancaster AND you're in the mood for a laugh-out-loud memoir, I would recommend the aforementioned book or its prequel Bitter is the New Black. They are hysterical and her asides have kept me in stitches.

Okay, I am on day 15 of Wii and want to know, really, why I am gaining weight instead of losing it. Actually, if I continue to gain weight when I have been more active for 15 days than I have for 15 weeks or 15 months, then I might just "lose it".

---

[1] Enough with the acronyms already!

Greg Passed!

It's official! Greg is now an airline pilot since he passed his check ride today! Since we had no plan B if this flying thing didn't work out, that is the best news EVER!
We will be celebrating this for a while!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

This is not a paid advertisement!

I love my Wii Fit! It's been nine days since I began using it, and though I haven't lost any weight yet, I have gained lots of energy. Unfortunately, that means I have spent lots of money on my landscaping because I have chosen gardening as an outlet for that extra get-up-and-go. The bright side is that my yard has never looked better OR had less dog mess to clean up: ) The chiclet in the picture is obviously not me because I hate that stupid tree pose-the only thing I hate so far. I rather enjoy being told I am a couch potato and asked if I have trouble walking (answer: sometimes) without tripping. The Wii Fit definitely appeals to my competitive nature and love of lists. It's like do an exercise-check!

Greg is back in Phoenix and will be there until early next week doing simulator training. As usual we miss him and are ready for him to be back, but he is doing what he needs to do to get this career up and flying.

Happy Fourth!

Usually we spend the 4th in Elkhart with Greg's dad, but Greg's pilot training has us in a holding pattern. He was supposed to leave for SIM training in Phoenix tomorrow, but that has been pushed back to July 11. He'll be there for approximately 10 days, and then hopefully he'll be flying. Amazingly enough, he hasn't flown an actual plane since December.
Since we are in Cincinnati for the holiday weekend, we booked our usual room at the Dorsey B&B. Fireworks are planned, but I"m not sure how that will work with the not-so-sunny skies (read raining like cats and dogs) we have. Maybe the lights will reflect infinitely off the tiny raindrops for an even more beautiful show.
So I joined Facebook-thanks Jill:) My Mississippi sister started this lovely thing called Facebook and invited me to view her profile-the only catch is that you have to join in order to see the profile. I am now addicted to Flair. Really, you can get lost for a long time looking at the many varieties of Flair and then sending it to friends. I have found some old friends on Facebook though, and it's easier to keep in touch with all Facebook friends, so really, thanks Jill! My Facebook link-click here.
Dee has invited me to Shelfari-an online reading club. Yet another thing to keep me at the computer! I'm already secretly addicted to some of the games on Webkinz-Hi, Tile Towers!-and must fight for computer time with Joey and sometimes even Greg!
Thankfully Joey finished baseball this week. He always enjoyed the games, but did not like the practices-not that they had many. Greg and I have already revised our stance on childhood activities. Previously we had agreed that whatever Joey wanted to try (Cub Scouts, baseball, music lessons, etc.), we would let him make the decision. Well, he decided that he doesn't want to play soccer or baseball anymore. Too bad for him. With childhood obesity on the rise (not that it's an issue yet), and kids spending more time inside and less outside, Joey will be playing sports whether he likes it or not. I'm even thinking that access to a car at 16 will be tied into his school/sports involvement. I really am not trying to live vicariously through my son-if I were he'd be in gymnastics and cheerleading:)-but I do want him to make informed choices, so we will continue to provide and encourage his involvement in extracurriculars. Does anyone know anyone who gives music lessons?