This, that, and a cougar.

1) On Saturday, we took the kids to a base Christmas party. They had a box maze, games, and the largest bouncy castle I've ever seen.

Oh, and also a big 'ol F-15E in the background.

It struck me as we wandered around that the kids at the party really didn't even seem to notice the jet in the background. It's funny what types of things become part of a child's "normal."

Alex colored. (Also, do you ever wonder what you're caught doing in the background of other people's pictures?)

(I zoomed in to check. It was just a scratch.)


Derek decorated a cookie.

Don't worry, I brought his own cookie from home. The icing was safe for him.

2) Speaking of which, I've given him a few things to eat with milk in it and so far, so good. But then I watch him like a hawk and think that every sneeze or eye rub must be a sign that he's having a reaction.
It really is a weird thing to knowingly give him something we've tried to protect him from for 3 years.

3) Back to the party--

Obligatory Santa picture.

No way they would have gotten near him if it weren't for the candy canes.

4) My friend Heather, who shall be sailing the open seas with me in February, sent me a link to this article, entitled: "Another sexually charged cougar cruise on deck for weekend."

I kid you not, this is the same cruise line, route, and ship that we will be sailing on. Fortunately, it is not the same date.
I do not want to be mistaken for a cougar.
(If you don't know what is meant by the term cougar, then I applaud you for being in the world but not of it, and I will not pollute your mind.)

But feel free to google it.

Anyway, I have my own younger man right here at home.

Pat the Bunny called to congratulate Josh on his promotion, and admitted that she thought that he looked about 16 years old in this picture.
I tend to agree that he does not look old enough to be a Major.
I just keep hoping that the G's he pulls while flying will age him enough so that we still look like a couple. I'd prefer not to be mistaken for his mother.

5) Company! And lots of it. We haven't seen any of our family since PtB was here in July. But in the next several weeks, we're looking forward to visits from Josh's dad, PtB, and then my father.
Hope you guys like to cook!

Oh, I'm just kidding.
Kind of.

Keep your standards low and everything will work out fine.

6) Derek has some blood work drawn at his last allergy appointment and the results came back today. He had never been tested for inhalant allergens before, only foods, so they went ahead and checked to see if there might be something in the air responsible for his wheezing episodes.
The results were all negative, except for one which came back with a very high allergic response.

Cats.

Good thing we're not really pet people.
And good thing I'm not a cougar.

7) I got new cookware. Think it will help?
At the very least, I can stop killing my family slowly with the toxic particles from my old chipping teflon.
It's the little things that show your family that you love them.

Too bad the old stuff started falling apart in 2002.

8) I love Christmas music.


9) We tried to snap some family pictures on the windiest and coldest day of the season. My planning skills are lacking.

 

The best we could get was this wind-blown momma with a weird lump in her sweater and a cheesy looking boy with no hand.

10) I just got an e-mail about my 10 year college reunion.
Say it ain't so.
Surely it wasn't 10 years ago that I was hanging out in Ann Arbor with 40 thousand of my closest friends.
Maybe I should go to the reunion.

On second thought, it's a big school and no one will notice if I'm not there.
Just like they probably didn't notice that I didn't show up for graduation.

I was busy getting ready to get married.
And I was too cheap to buy the cap and gown.
Priorities, people.

11) I'm out of random snippets.
So here you go again:

You're welcome.