Graham Has Never...

... Colored on the wall....

Isn't funny, as soon as you say something about your kids, they prove you wrong! Last week I sat down to do some blogging, and I hear Graham come up the stairs talking. I peek around the corner to find he is all black... along with the wall. I have to admit I lost it a little bit...

What I don't understand is how I missed this.... I was sitting just to the left of this half wall (where our computer is)... I guess I was really into what I was doing - or Graham is REALLY sneaky... it is probably both!

More black marker on the wall

Caught red handed...

or black handed, whichever.

Sitting in time out, knowing he is in trouble.

I was able to calm down a little, especially when I learned it was a washable marker and it was only on the wall (not on the carpet)

After sitting in time out, we washed Graham's hands and face, and then put him to work.

Cleaning the wall himself was supposed to be punishment; however, he seemed to think it was fun... oh well, the wall got clean. I guess that is all I can ask for.

When Tommy got home that night, I said I needed a vacation. He replied "Why don't you and Graham go somewhere..." I then said "I need a vacation from him!"

We all have those moments... don't we???

A Day Out With Thomas...

...no, not my husband... but

Thomas the Tank Engine!!!

As I told you before, Graham is obsessed with trains, especially Thomas and Friends! At the Colorado Railroad Museum, in Golden, you could go have "A Day Out With Thomas". We decided this year to go since Graham would love it. We went with Larissa and Scott (who is more obsessed with trains than Graham!) and had a lot of fun.

Trying to get a picture of Tommy and Graham on the bus to the museum. Graham was trying to humor me... saying "cheeeeese" while watching a Thomas & Friends episode on the bus TV.

Family picture in front of one of the steam engines

Me and Graham sitting on the Caboose

Graham watching one of the small engines go around in the "Round House". It is quite a cool contraption! There are "handles" attached to the track so you can push it around to line up with a different track. I pushed it by myself and the worker said that I was pushing 50 Tons around... It is amazing how if you engineer something right, you can move so much weight with ease!

Graham, Me, Larissa and Scott

Graham and Scott had such a fun time together. Scott would sit with Graham and give him lessons on what all the levers did, what type of train it was, and a bunch of other train knowledge. Me and Larissa kept teasing that we both brought our "kids" to see the trains :)

Scott and Larissa had to leave early, so after they left we rode Thomas. Actually it was a train pushing a car in front that looked like Thomas (not the fully functional Thomas...) but the kids don't know the difference. The entire time we were there, Graham kept saying "Thomas", "Thomas", "Thomas". He was SO excited! This is Graham and Tommy (with Thomas in the background) right before we left to come home.

Both Graham and I fell asleep on the way home!

What Happens in Vegas...

Many people vacation in Las Vegas, our family is no different. Okay, maybe a little different. We visit at least twice a year and don't even make it to "The Strip".

Tommy is a Las Vegas Native (and we used to live there), so we always spend time with family, rather than be tourists.

However, this Labor Day weekend we thought Graham might like to see the excitement. One of my favorite "shows" is watching the Bellagio Water Show. So we drove down to the strip and parked and walked through the Bellagio to get out front to watch the show. We did make a pit stop in the Bellagio Atrium. It is an elaborate garden that changes seasonally. When we went it was all about the trains... it was fate that we were supposed to be tourists this trip (as Graham is obsessed with trains at the moment).

You can't really tell but there is a "living" train behind Tommy and Graham - made of plants and such.

The Water Show
Graham wasn't so into the show... he just wanted to go back inside and look at the trains...
One of the trains
Watching the trains go 'round and 'round and 'round and 'round and.... you get the point.

Graham "lost it" when it was time to leave, but at least we know he enjoyed himself!

p.s. Tommy's phone actually broke in half on this trip (do you think it ws because of our charging method?!?). Luckily the day we got home his new phone - a working one - came in the mail. Good timing... if you have no idea what I am talking about, look down a few posts....

Face Lift

Tommy and I had been talking about replacing our carpet. Tommy decided that over Father's Day he would do that project (I was out of town). Tommy did the front room, dining room, kitchen, and Graham's room. It took a little to get used to, but I love it! It definitely didn't look like our house for a while.

Then I decided the "red wall" finally needed to go, so about a month ago I painted it an olive green-brown.

So here are pics of our homes "face lift"

Jerry-Rigged

Tommy's phone is on its way out... actually it has been on its way out for a while. We got it about 18 months ago and it is about to die...literally! He got a really thin phone, which he thought was really cool at first. That is until it was constantly in his back pocket and actually began to bend from sitting on it... And it is bending till it breaks!

We have been trying to go the cheap way, and buy a phone off eBay. So far we have bought 2 phones and returned 2 phones. It has been a little frustrating, especially when his phone is surviving day to day. This is what we have to do to charge it... and even when we do this it doesn't always work. Yep, that is two pens held to the phone with two hair ties, with a make up applicator stick to help. Yea, pretty ghetto, I know!

Sorry Ladies...

... but I have the best and most thoughtful husband ever!

Tuesday morning I woke up to this:

And it was just to remind me that he loves me. So, you may all argue your case, but I think I will still win!

Trooper

Last Monday (Aug 11), Graham had surgery to remove his adnoids, tonsils, and to get tubes put in his ears. I was a little nervous because they had to put him "under", and I get nervous when they have to do that to me...

He did so good while we were waiting in pre-op. He pushed Tommy around in a wheel chair to pass the time. And the nurses were awesome!

They allowed one of us to go in to the surgery room, to comfort him until he was out. Initially, I wanted to go, but being the "Daddy's Boy" that he is, he wanted Tommy to go with him. However, after Tommy told me how it went, I was glad it was him and not me. I guess as soon as they rolled him into the room he could tell something wasn't right and got a really big pouty face (he didn't cry though), then they put him under via gas mask. Graham wasn't having it! Tommy had to hold his head so they could do it. The surgery was about an hour, and they came to get us promptly. We stayed in recovery for two hours and then we were allowed to go home.

Before surgery, in his cute little hospital gown... and of course his blankie

(sorry the pics are not great, they are from my phone)

Tommy holding him in recovery... When we walked in and I saw the nurse holding Graham, I almost started to cry. It was hard seeing him like that. The nurses said he was doing a really great job. He slept almost the entire two hours we were in recovery.

When we got home we found a Get Well gift from the Griffiths. Noah gave him a Thomas the Engine blanket and he LOVED it (needless to say, now he carries both blankies around with him!). Grandma and Grandpa Easton came over later that night and brought some Get Well reinforcements as well... graham crackers (which he couldn't eat right away, but he wanted to), a Stewart Little movie, and Graham's favorite movie at the moment; Charlotte's Web (not the cartoon verson either). That really cheered him up a lot!

He didn't eat/drink very much that first day... of course the only thing that didn't hurt was ice cream, so he did get a couple bowls of that!

By day three, he was up and walking around, wanting to play. The doctor said he needs to lay pretty low for 14 days... we are on day 11 and he wants to get out SO bad. I did go and work out at the rec center on Monday, so he was in the child care and he seemed to be okay... but now he has what seems to be a cold. I am not sure if it is from the after surgery shock to his immune system or if it was the child care... we won't be going back for a while, just in case.

We appreciate all the calls to check up on Graham following his surgery, we are so lucky to have such wonderful family and friends!

Happy 6th

(Okay, I meant to post this the day of, I am a loser - I know - but I thought better late than never!)

August 10 was our 6th Wedding Anniversary. It is so incredibly amazing how fast time flies by! I am so lucky to have spent it with Tommy. He is such a kind, loving, funny, passionate (and even silly - sometimes) husband. He even lets me win "arguements" (as we are both super stubborn in thinking we are both right), now that says a lot :)

Usually we have a romantic date... a nice dinner, roses, Barry White music (okay, maybe not the music, but you get the point), and we switch off years planning our date. This year was my year and I thought it would be super fun to do all the things we did BEFORE we were married.

We first started by eating dinner at one of our favorite restuarants : Damascus Grill. It takes us back to when we were still in Las Vegas, and eating at a persian restuarant. It was so yummy! Kabobs, Hummus, Tabouli, Rice, and Pita Bread.

Then, Put-Put Golf

Then finding a bench and sitting quietly together, thinking how lucky we are

After that, bowling

And to top off the night, enjoying concession food at the movie theatre, watching an action movie - no chick flicks here. And not getting out of the theatre until 2am!

And of course, lots of kissing!

It was such a fun night and I am so glad I am married to Tommy. I am looking forward to many more years with my eternal companion!