Summer Catch Up

We've had a great summer this year, with our great Montana Road Trip and a Colorado Road Trip. Our good friends April and Aaron arrived from our old squadron and we really enjoyed spending some time with them. They did us the great favor of watching Risby while we went up to Montana. We are really excited to hang out with them on a regular basis these days.

I was just a little bit eager to hit the road and enjoy a break from the brown, flat Mojave, so Tim arrived home to a packed car and we began our journey North! We drove about 5 and a half hours to St. George, UT the first evening. It was nice to wake up outside of Zion National

Park. The scenery really begins to change once you hit Utah, and it was a welcome sight for our eyes.

Charlotte atop Teton Village, trying to hold as many rocks as possible. Reminds me of someone else I know...

Ollie after the Gondola ride...not smiling for the camera

We managed to keep the car somewhat organized, but there wasn't much room to see out of the back!

We drove from St. George to Ogden, UT, with a stop in Salt Lake City to check out Temple Square. It was a very interesting experience to see so many women wearing long skirts, sweaters in the warm weather, and walking in pairs. I didn't think that I stood out as a non-Mormon, but after speaking to some friends who have lived in the area, apparently we did. Oh well, they were nice enough to let us visit the pretty grounds.

The landscape was gorgeous after Ogden, as we made our way into Teton Village at the base of the Teton Mountains. They had a Father's Day special and only I had to pay for the gondola ride to the top of Apres Vous Mtn.

There's something great about having two kids and traveling with them. We're very blessed!

The pictures aren't loading very well...sorry about that!

The drive between Teton Village and Cody, WY was the most amazing as you might imagine. We drove through Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park. We saw buffalo, moose, and deer. No bears (except the stuffed kind). We stayed at a Dude Ranch outside of Cody, which had some really good steaks and a bar for Tim and I to visit after the kids were in bed!

From Cody, we drove to Glendive, MT and met up with Tim's folks.

That's enough for one post...I'll catch you up on the rest very soon!

Sweet Smile

IMG_5366.JPG
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

Man, we're lucky parents

Updates

Things are quick and crazy around here, but very good. Tim is busy with work...he's about to enjoy some time on a very big boat. We'll all be grateful for the AF life after this weekend, I think.

O man is doing very well. He's begun a new year at Mrs. Tara's preschool. Its within walking distance of the house and he loves it! Ollie in school is good for everyone involved : ) O man is obsessed with dinosaurs (especially the T-Rex) and other bigger kid things. He informed me the other day that he was a T-rex robot. The crazy things kids come up with! I would like to take the credit for his smart comments, but I'm pretty sure that he knows the word Jurassic because of Dinosaur Train. Thanks, PBS Kids! I guess all of the travel this summer to dinosaur locations in Utah didn't hurt.

Charlotte is a barrel of fun too. Her favorite word is "shoe," and I have woken up to a Teva in my face, ready to don my foot, on more than one morning. She will also try to bring over any pair of shoes to you and insist that you put them on. She's still a sweet girl, but she is very certain about what she likes and doesn't like and she is NOT afraid to tell you her opinion. I don't know where she gets that from. She loves her board books, especially the classic Pat the Bunny and anything Ollie can do, she can do better.

I'm doing pretty well too. A little burnt out on the whole race thing, but I still have four more to go! I'll make it through and I will be very happy when they are all behind me : ) Life in the desert is good and I'm trying to soak up as much time with my friends as possible. No matter where we are stationed next year, I will certainly be apart from some of them and I will be very sad about that. Its been amazing to get to know so many great gals. What will the world be like when I don't have great friends up and down my street?

Next on the horizon is a half marathon thru Disneyland for me and a camping trip to Yosemite for Tim and the kids. We're taking the kids to Disney later in the month for a conference, so we didn't feel the need to take them over Labor Day weekend. And the weekend after that is a triathlon in Malibu. I won't feel so lame looking for famous people as I slog away on the bike and the run. I'll be too busy looking out for sharks during the swim! We hope to find out our next fabulous assignment in October. We'll either stay here at lovely Edwards or make our way to the panhandle of Florida. We'll keep you posted!

Hope you are all well : )

Love,

The Spauldings

Shout Out

Congrats to my fabulous husband...he will be awarded the Lt. Col. Anthony C. Shine Award tomorrow. Captain Shine flew near the border of Laos and North Vietnam on December 2, 1972, when he failed to answer his wing man's radio call. Seven years later he was declared dead, and 24 years after that he was finally laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. Tim and I will have the distinct honor of meeting his daughter, Colleen Shine, tomorrow when she presents the award to Tim. I am also fortunate to be able to spend the morning with her and I am humbled to share her company. If you'd like to read more about her, here is a link.

About the award and LTC Shine

Reform, repression in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Iran: newyorker.com

And the same problem, from the mind of Iran..

Reform, repression in Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s Iran: newyorker.com

The Point of No Return - Magazine - The Atlantic

This is the most crucial topic in foreign affairs today.
A scary thing, any way you cut it.

The Point of No Return - Magazine - The Atlantic

I would use a third hand if I had one

I would use a third hand if I had one
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

Happy birthday to Charlotte. Her actual birthday isn't for another week, but we celebrated this afternoon with a combined party for her and her friends Philippine and Parker.

It is hard to believe that it was only a year ago that Charlotte was on the breathing machines in the NICU at Addenbrooke's. We're so thankful for all of the dedicated and caring people who helped her through that time, and for the military, which unhesitatingly gave me time away from work and unflinchingly paid the bills for all of Charlotte's care. Not everyone is so fortunate.

Not everyone is so fortunate to have to the family support that we did, either. Especially Martha, who dropped her summer plans and immediately arrived at our doorstep -- 3000 miles away-- to make sure we were ok. Thank you Mom.

At the Addenbrooke's, parents often send a thank you note and a one-year photo of their kids who started off in the NICU. I think this'll be an appropriate shot!

Tim

Long weekend

shadows
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

Enjoyed a long weekend on the beach courtesy of our friends the Smiths, who were kind enough to let us use their cottage just outside Santa Cruz in Capitola, CA. We had perfect weather over the weekend to enjoy a great town on the coast south of the bay area.

O and C enjoyed the trip as well. Charlotte still tries to eat sand once in awhile, but it is at least less often than before! Ollie had a great time chasing the waves and enjoy the 'salty water.'

We also got to celebrate our 7th (!) anniversary with a nice dinner and bottle of wine. What a great weekend!

Going the distance...

run transition
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

Tim here again. Well done to Dori for finishing a MUCH longer tri this weekend (1000 meters/26 miles/5 miles). Great job!

11 Months and Counting

Family pictures at the Getty Museum in LA

Long time, no update! Sort of a theme I have here...busy, busy! Life is good here at the Spaulding Home. Tim loves his job and has flown some really cool aircraft. I'm busy with the kiddos, the other ladies, and my triathlons. Most of you want to know about the kiddos, so here's an update:

Ollie is as smart as a whip these days. He's learning about numbers and letters...all the fun stuff. We're trying to figure out what to do next year for school for him. There isn't one perfect option out there. There are two good options in Lancaster (30+ minutes away). One is a private school (pricey!!) and the other is a Montessori school (also not so cheap). He would get the challenges that he needs, but its a long haul for all three of us to make everyday. There is a lady here on base that everyone raves about, but I'm not sure if he's going to be challenged much there. Odds are that we'll stay on base, at least until we find out if we stay or if we go.

Charlotte is as cute as ever. She turned 11 months the other day. Its so hard to believe that she's almost a year old!! She loves to give kisses, cuddles, and flurberts and her favorite spot is on my hip. Charlotte is close to walking and is eager to run around with the big kids. She'll stand at the kid table and try to lift her leg into the seat, and she has a grin as big as Texas when she gets to sit there like her brother.

Well...that's all for now folks. Hope you are all well!
Love,
The Spauldings

Mega-Dori

Tim here.
Just wanted to stop and give a shout out to Dori, whose triathlon training has been going great lately. It take a dedicated soul to get up at the crack of dawn on a weekend in order to be in the pacific ocean in a wetsuit before noon....two weeks in a row!
Here's wishing her the best of luck in the second race of the LA Triathlon series this weekend in San Dimas!
Kick butt!
Tim

Man v Child(s)

Dori's off again with the ladies from the squadron for a 'Pink Flag'--this time to Las Vegas. So that means once again it is a weekend where the normal rules are thrown out in favor of 'man law.'

Now, that being said, Charlotte is in the picture now, so I guess 'man law' doesn't strictly apply like is has in the past. (Original Man Law)

Anyway,, 'man law theory' has moved far beyond its simple roots, and since I'm not a strict constructionist, we'll let 'man law' adapt to these new circumstances. Here's the newly modified canon for when daddy is in charge:

1. Toilet seats remain up.

Sorry Charlotte -- you don't use the potty, you don't get a vote. Actually, I don't think the toilet lid should stay up. Instead, I believe (as every right-thinking human being with a capacity for mildly complex reasoning should) that toilet seats should be left in that last position they were used. This is the simplest and most efficient general rule to apply, resulting in fewer toilet seat touches (and hinge movements) per toilet use. Its not my fault if if some people can't be bothered to remember to look and see if the seat is down before you sit. If that is a recurring problem perhaps w should develop a toilet checklist of some sort. But anyway, in honor of this injustice to good order, discipline, and common sense, the seats shall remain up for the duration of the weekend.




2a. The Dog gets to sleep on the bed.

She's good. She's earned it.




2b. We don't make the bed.


You're just going to sleep in it again the next night!!




3. If God wanted me to wash dishes by hand, he'd have given me rubber gloves.

Dishes go into the dishwasher dirty. If the dishwasher won't clean 'em that way then we get a new dishwasher.




4. The kids get to go where they want.

OK, within reason anyway.




5. Skip the bath.

Its not that we're not dirty, it is just that we don't care.




6. Maximize outside time.


Especially today which is pretty much the nicest day of the year so far.




7. Dad cooks steak.

Just because mom is gone doesn't mean you have to eat out of a can!



Man law is a 100% sustainable system -- at least until Sunday afternoon when we can get some sanity around here again!

Tim

Time to wake up Mom!

Time to wake up Mom!
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

My bright eyed girl... waiting for me to pick her up so that she can be part of the fun. I don't have a great picture of this, but Ollie climbed into her crib to hang out with her. He's really begun to like the idea of his sister...most of the time.

I like this picture because its a great sample of Charlotte and her tongue. She spends most of the day with her tongue pressed to the inside of her cheek. Its quite adorable.

Memphis

While I feel like the luckiest woman in the world, I may be one of the worst "capture the moment on film to cherish forever" Moms out there. Life is busy and my son acts like smiling for the camera will turn his face to stone, so I'm not very motivated to snap away with the camera. However, I realize that our beloved family and friends might like to see some pictures of my adorable kiddos every now and then. So here you go...a picture of my handsome son holding the class guinea pig Memphis. He came home for the weekend to hang with us. Ms. Heather warned that he can be loud at night, but I think our friendly black dog kept the rodent quiet. It also seems that I am pretty allergic to rodents if I touch them. Good thing the little guy was low maintenance.

Hoover vs. the Baby

Dear Mom,
Despite the fact that I was in an entirely different part of the house, playing nicely with my toys, I felt an urgent need to crawl to you as quickly as possible when I heard the vacuum cleaner roaring around your bedroom. Holding me while vacuuming is good exercise, right?
Love,
Charlotte

On a separate note, Ollie is playing very well by himself with his geotrax. Ahhh...its nice to get some things done around the house.

Happy Easter

Happy Easter everyone! Here's an update from the Spauldings...

Charlotte continues to move. She'll "walk" when I hold her hands and she would like to stand ALL OF THE TIME. Her favorite things are her brother, her dog, and exploring new parts of the house! C continues to bring lots of joy to us with her warm smiles and sweet giggles.

Ollie is still wonderful. He tests both Tim and I constantly to determine his boundaries, but he's a great kid. O really pays attention to his world these days and remembers random facts from the not so recent past. His curiosity is insatiable. We had a great time in the kitchen on Saturday, as O helped Tim and I prepare some lasagna for a small dinner party. Everyone wore an apron and jammed to the music.

This weekend held a few firsts for our fam. Ollie watched Star Wars (no. 4) from beginning to end. He lasted longer than I did! We also played Candyland this afternoon while C napped. I'm not sure if you all remember just how simple that game is, but I'm not sure who had a better time playing. Ollie wiggled with excitement as he moved his piece around the board, and I can't tell you how great it was to watch him. This parenting gig isn't so bad after all : )

Tim continues to stay busy in class. Despite his workload, he has made time to be a great Dad and very helpful husband. I may in fact be the luckiest woman alive : )

Life with two kiddos is great, but busy. I have to say that I really love having two and I seem to be happiest when there is a lot going on. I manage to carve out some gym time to train for the next tri...two weeks to go! This next one is a traditional sprint tri (the last two were reverse tris), with a 500 m swim, 24 k bike, and 5 k run. Just bought a wetsuit since this one is an open water. Don't worry Mom...this one is in a lake, so there are no sharks to worry about : ) The races continue to keep me motivated to workout, even if I don't get all of my planned training hours into the week.

I'd like to say a HUGE thanks to our Texas Grandpa and Col. Ray for driving from Ft. Worth to the desert to bring us the family piano, a hand me down train table, and Ollie's new bed. Grandpa has taken up wood work as a hobby and built Ollie a real bed. O man was very excited to move to a real big boy bed from his toddler bed. Grandpa and Col. Ray also played the roles of stand-in babysitter, master griller, preschool entertainer, and all around HUGE help. We really enjoyed our time with both of them. Thanks!!!!

Hope you are all well! Check out the Flickr link to see the latest and greatest Spaulding pics : )
http://www.flickr.com/photos/spauldingtj/

New life...

poppies wide
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

...an appropriate theme for the end of Lent. Here's a picture of the new life springing up here in the high desert, just outside of Lancaster.

Desert Flower

hardy flower
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

The first wildflowers are in bloom here in the Antelope Valley, blooming with what Edward Abbey called "...the special and extraordinary beauty of wild and lonely things"

He writes:

"Every desert flower shares that quality. Anything that lives where it seems nothing could live, enduring extremes of heat and cold, sunlight and storm, parching aridity and sudden cloudbursts, among burnt rocks and shifting sands, any such creature -- beast, bird or flower -- testifies to the grandeur and heroism inherent in all forms of life. Including the human. Including us." (Edward Abbey, 'Beyond the Wall')

Desert springtime

flowers and flatirons
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

Spring is hitting the Antelope Valley this week. Daylight savings, obviously, but lots of growth happening just below the surface, too. We're looking forward to a good showing of wildflowers from all of the rain this winter. The first ones are just starting to show out of the desert sands.

Here's a shot of some of them, taken at the 'Devil's Punchbowl, the intersection of the San Andreas, Pinyon, and Punchbowl faults.

Tri-mom

tri-mom
Originally uploaded by spauldingtj

Congratulations to Dori, who ran the Los Alamitos Tri this weekend, despite the showers and wind. Her training paid off as she put in a strong ride and placed in the top 15% of the age group! Great work, especially for the first race of the season!