Grandpa & Grandma Tippets Visit

Beides having the local fire department visit us during mom & dad's visit .... we also had the 24 hour flu bug visit our home. It was a 10 day visit of not much but sickness! Started with Max who had the stomach flu (mildly and was finishing up strep throat the week they arrived and had pink eye the week before!) on Friday, Grandma got it on Monday / Tuesday, Grandpa got a sore throat on Wednesday so we drove him to the Quick Care unit for the z-pac. Thursday we took Max to the ENT specialist, Audiologist, etc. and now have ear tube surgery scheduled for him on May 6th. After all of Maxs' dr's appointments we drove down through DC and viewed the blossoms from the car (Max now asleep) and ended up at the DC Temple. We had a nice drive through the city and did enjoy many beautiful buildings. Friday by noon I was sick with the flu bug .... which seriously is sooo miserable but, mom and Max had been through it already and had some sympathy but, until you are down to dry heaves ... your miserable as we all know! Saturday morning I had to be at work at 6 am and ate crackers and grapes! Sunday afternoon dad got the bug and started to feel human again on Monday afternoon. Tuesday, mom and dad flew back to Utah! WOW ... what a week! Not much vacationing but, we did have fun together despite being sick! On Monday night I realized I had not taken any pictures so before Max went to bed I snapped the two pictures below. I think for this picture ... no one was feeling sick!

Possible Fire!

About two weeks ago right after my parents got here for a little vacation .... we were sitting down to dinner and we heard firetrucks coming down the street in front of our neighborhood. Seems as though the sirens were getting louder and louder ... so I got up to see where they were headed. Turns out they pulled in to our complex and stopped at OUR building! Mom ran out the door to see smoke coming from an apartment vent below us. OK - so now what to grab and go. In the meanwhile I see the firemen coming up our stairs with ax in hand and I say, I'm sure you want us out. He says, no at this point stay in your apartment. What? Really? Now Max has full blown curiosity, I'm starting to have nightmares from 11 years ago, and mom and dad are wondering which pictures to grab off the wall, which files along with grabbing what we can while we have a minute to "wait in our apartment". I grabbed the camera and started taking pictures as quick as possible and hauled out of the house with Max, purse & camera. Turns out the smoke was coming from our neighbors dryer vent and there really was a lot of smoke coming out and someone in the complex saw it and called 911. Firemen got in to the apartment (no one was home) and investigated the dryer. It appeared ok and cleared everyone to go back in. But, there was 5 fire trucks and several "management" looking trucks that all came. Since this night, dad found out that about 4 or 5 years ago, there was a building in our complex that burned down (great.....) and I'm sure when they hear apartment complex, the calvary does come! Thankfully, nothing more happened and we were able to return to our apartment.

The Suspicious Package ...

Tonight as I was riding the metro home and I saw / found what I would term as a "suspicious" package. I left work at my usual time of 4:25 ish ... and headed to Federal Triangle metro. I boarded the metro and started out wide awake then realized it was time for my power nap. However, about two stops before mine, I awoke from my power nap and my car was much less crowded. I noticed a paint can under the seat of a man across and up a few rows from me. I remembered the man coming on to the train and knew the paint can was not his. But, I did not notice it before. Perhaps because it had been hidden by fellow riders along with purses, backpacks, brief cases, jackets, newspapers, books, lunch bags, etc. But this paint can did not appear to have a top but was covered with aluminum foil. Hmmm, I thought. This seems a bit out of place especially during rush hour traffic. So, as we are pulling in to the final stop (and I have now looked over those who are left on my train to see if anyone is looking suspicious as well) decide to make a comment to the man who was sitting above the paint can. I asked him, "Is that your paint can?" and of course he said no. I said, well to me that is quite out of place and constitutes a suspicious package. So, I went to the end of our car and pushed the emergency red button. I pushed it SEVERAL times and no one answered. But, now we are stopped and people are getting off and others are starting to get back on. Other riders, say thank you for seeing that .... we'll try to locate someone as well. In the meanwhile, still no answer at the "Emergency" button. I then proceed to tell a woman with a stroller not to get on the car until this "package" is removed along with several others whom were boarding. A man appeared with his metro logo clothes and we pointed it out to him. He called it in on the radio and left the package behind. I'm thinking, well I would not feel comfortable picking it up either ... at least not without gloves and perhaps a dog to sniff it out. I took the escalator to the top and again mentioned the situation to the metro officials in the booth. They thanked me and I was on my way. I never heard a trian blow-up and I have no idea if it really was just a paint can left on the metro. But, really ... who takes a paint can on the metro and then forgets it? Really? Don't you think it was suspicious too?

PS - I say suspicious because they broadcast constantly, if you see something, say something. Report all suspicious packages.

Birthday Week & Weekend

We have had a VERY busy week. Although exhaustion has set in at this point on Sunday night I did want to write down a couple of things Max said today before I forget. Birthday pictures to follow but, most of them are on facebook.

Yesterday morning we attended our stake baptism day. We had 6 children getting baptized and that included having LOTS of out-of-town family members. The services were held in the chapel and then 3 kids at a time and families would move down to the RS room for their baptisms and confirmations. We had two kids from our ward and we are very close to one of them. So we were excited to go. Max and all the children were able to sit close and see all the action. Thankfully they have installed a glass barrier between the room and the font so no one could fall in or get pushed in.

Today as we were walking in to church, Max said to me, "Mom, if dad does not get back before I turn 8, will you baptize me?" I laughed for a minute and then informed him, that dad will be back way before his 8th birthday and that mom could not baptize him. It would have to be daddy or grandpa. Of course Max then questioned why I could not baptize him, and I said, well because I don't have the priesthood. Why? Was his answer to this. Because the mommies have to carry the babies and the daddies get to have the priesthood! Perhaps not the best answer but, he dropped it after that. It seemed to satisfy him for the minute anyway.

We are then riding in the car and Max asked to listen to "Take it to the left" song. I said is that a song from school? I don't recognize it. No no ... he replied. Maybe daddy took it back to Afghanistan with him. I said, no daddy did not take any music back with him. Anyway, he insisted that daddy listened to this song with him and he just wanted to listen to "Take it to the left" ... have pondering this for some time, I finally realized Max was talking about "Take it to the Limit" from the Eagles cd. Once I found which song he was referring to .... we listened to it over and over so Max would know it was "limit" not "left"! Such a stinkin' smart kid with an incredible memory.

More Max questions and ponderings to follow.

Look Whos Five!

Our little man turned 5 this past week. He is so much fun and quite a handful! As Imentioned in a post below he is ALL BOY! Here are some of the things that Max is doing now:

Attends preschool 5 days a week from 6:45 am to 5:30 pm.

Speaks beginning Spanish (taught at school)

LOVES did I mention LOVES legos!

Is beginning to read and recognize lots of site words.

Enjoys playing hide-n-seek (but don't hide too hard mom), star wars laser tag, and anything on disney.com, nickjr.com or thomasandfriends.com;

Loves to play with trains and likes to watch Chuggington in the mornings from 6 - 6:20 am.

Is learning to be friends with lots of boys and girls from church and school.

Max has beautiful blue eyes and lots of curly brown hair that makes him super cute.

For all the moving that we have down over the past two years, I am so proud of Max. He likes to find adventure in all that we do. I'm so glad that I have him here with me while Mark is away working. Although challenging to be with him by myself, I truly do love teaching him and helping him to grow. I pray that we will always be close and that we will be able to stay close in our relationship. Every night when Max is saying his prayers he always asks Heavenly Father to watch over and protect dad and to help dad find a new job where we can all be together.

We celebrated Maxs' birthday by having Justin and 14 other kids go bowling here in Alexandria. Bowling with 16 kids is a little nuts but, I had lots of parents there who helped me. After bowling we had hot dogs, hamburgers, chips and cake! On the morning of Maxs birthday dad called at 6:15 am so he could tell him personally happy birthday and that he loved and missed him so much.

We love this little man and we are so happy that he is in our lives!

Quote of the Week

Keep an eye on your kitchen scale and your

bathroom scale will take care of itself!

Unknown

PS - Down another pound!

I Cheated!

I can not tell a lie .... I cheated this afternoon ... 6 of these babies with a little peanut butter on them. And they were DELICIOUS! The weekends are SO hard to eat well on! Running errands, looking at birthday cakes, having all kinds of yummy food all around you ... a cheese stick and carrots just were not going to do it for me. BUT, seriously, I don't think 6 saltines or "square crackers" will blow everything. Although this was my first flour and sugar is almost 14 days!