Marine Corps Ball

Every November, we look forward to the Marine Corps Ball. It's the one night out of the year where we're guaranteed a date to ourselves. And that means a lot once you have a kid!

This year, we decided to forgo Brian's Ball with Systems Command (BORING). Instead we went as guests to the HMX Ball (NOT BORING). HMX stands for Marine Helicopter Squadron and they are responsible for transporting the President. Everyone we know works for HMX, so we figured it made sense to ditch our ball and crash theirs. Our friend Rob organized it so that we got to sit at his table with him and Angel.

Rob and Brian with the Guest of Honor, Lt General Flynn (Brian's boss's boss's boss, or something like that...?!)

Those HMXers know how to throw a good party. We were pleasantly surprised by the incredible accommodations. We stayed on the 23rd floor of the Sheraton in Tyson's Corner of Washington D.C.

Awesome view of the fall colors

The food was good and Brandee even gave me her slice of cake, because she obviously loves me. I taught Brian how to two-step and we danced the night away. My knees were killing me by the end but it was soooo worth it.

Angel, Brandee, Lyndsey, and Me

Air guitar always seems like a good idea until you see the photos

We stayed up late and then the guys decided it was a good idea to grappel in our hotel room. That didn't go over well with hotel personnel and that promptly ended. Silly (make that, STUPID) Marines.

Get him, Doug! (Rob, wake up.)

Caden stayed overnight with the Rivera's. He played hard with John Paul and slept 12 1/2 hours as a result! He didn't seem bothered in the least when we dropped him off but he definitely acted like he missed us when we picked him up...that made us feel good. Thanks again Angela!

In other news, Brian got 2nd in the Turkey Trot. He was bummed but sort of anticipated a sub-par performance. He still won a turkey...woo hoo! I ran too, but didn't feel well. Okay, to put it bluntly, I felt like crap. But that's okay...I was happy to finish. I was super proud of Angel, Brandee, and Lyndsey because it was their first 10K race. 13.1 is next on their list (right girls?!) I'm glad they've caught the running disease. I like spreading it.

Brian got 2nd! First loser! YEAH! (He is thrilled.)


Brian is in Cali all week so me and little man are on our own. Caden's vocab continues to grow and he's recently started stringing words together in phrases. For example, a couple nights ago, we asked him if he wanted his pacifier right before bed time and he said, "No bah please." He's sly...he knew if he said yes, that meant bed time! He also says "No want" whenever he's opposed to my ideas. Hopefully his sentences will be related to more positive things soon, and not just "no." It's a fun stage. Well, minus all that toddler "no" business!

Donald Trump's prodigy


Let's see how many leaves I can get in my diaper...
click to see the video.

Stop, Drop and Roll

Caden loves fire trucks and goes nuts when he sees them, so we thought it was fitting for him to be a fireman for Halloween. Brian was envious because the costume was so realistic with real buckles and everything. Next year, honey.



We had a few incidents before we left the house, including Caden tripping over his own boots and flailing head first into a bar stool. Sigh. The dent in his head made me think, ER, here we come. But as always, a bump popped out and he was ok (after a few pieces of chocolate, of course).

The rest of the evening went well. Caden was generally cooperative and wore his hat willingly. We walked around the neighborhood with our friends Paige, Garrett, and Gabe (cutest bumble bee EVER). I pulled Caden around in his wagon. If I had been "Mom of the Year" I would have decorated the wagon to resemble a fire truck. Eh, I'm okay with being just "Mom."



Quantico housing is crazy because practically everyone sits outside and hands out candy. It's a child's paradise, and the gorgeous weather made it even better. Caden figured out the drill quickly and made no waste of time digging his sticky hands into the bowls of sugar-infested treats. He had 3 suckers before we even made it back to the house, some chocolates, and also the Sixlets I was so adoringly eyeing.

He thinks he's an Altizer boy and makes himself right at home. (Angie, do you want a fifth?!)

Brian evaluates the situation (aka, steals candy)


Brian had fun handing out candy and playing XBox, which apparently is an annual event now. We trick or treated at our own house as the end. Caden walked right up to Dad, took a piece of candy, waved "Bye Bye," and marched back down the stairs, ready to get more candy. It was hilarious. We watched Cars when we settled down for the night, which is now Caden's favorite show.

The holiday as a whole was a lot of fun. We did the Pumpkin Patch with the MOMS Group and Caden spent the majority of the time hanging out with (torturing?!) the animals.

Click here to see Caden, star of "The Cow Whisperer"

Mine.


Ride 'em cowboy


Mom, EW.


Stay tuned for another update soon including Marine Corps Ball pics...

The Geraghty/Clark Wedding

Would you believe me if I said that we flew into Iowa a week ago Wednesday and were greeted with GORGEOUS weather?

Ha. Iowa residents and wedding guests will call my bluff on that one. Obviously, our beloved state didn't get the memo about requiring beautifully balmy fall weather for the wedding weekend. Instead, we got cold dreary rain and a forecast for flurries. Sheesh.

But the weather didn't seem to faze the beautiful bride one bit. Caden and I accompanied Shannon for her countless errands on Thursday. It literally poured but we dodged the raindrops and got what she needed in record time. The downpour also meant my parents couldn't harvest, which meant they COULD attend the wedding. Things were looking up!

Friday rolled around and the pace picked up. Pat hollered at Brian bright and early (he was a bit sleepy from the bachelor party the night before). We spent 6 hours at the HUGE hall. It was indeed huge. Did I mention it was HUGE?! But apparently our family includes hard workers, and artistic ones too, so we turned that around in no time. Tricia and Aunt Diana were tulle extraordinaires, Krystie tied bows like it was her job, Aunt Colleen became the bell lady, and the boys did just about anything we told them. That includes Uncle John scrubbing the keg machine. I even caught Chris delicately spreading petals on the tables. Oh my.

The bride did her best to keep up with all the questions. Yeah, it got a little stressful at times. But bottom line...we made it through and the hall looked AWESOME. On Shannon's behalf, thank you to everyone that helped, especially those that came from afar. You guys rock. I think we all slept well that night....well, except the poor mother of the bride! But who could blame her?!

God truly smiled on Shannon and Dane the day of their wedding. Remember that crappy weather I talked about earlier? I awoke Saturday morning to sunlight streaming through the window. A perfect fall day...this was a good sign. And the rest of the day echoed the weather. I have been looking forward to seeing Shannon in her dress for months, and she didn't disappoint me. Her dark hair looked beautiful framed with lace, and her bright eyes and huge smile said it all. She was an amazing bride. And Dane agreed. He looked at her with adoration and kissed her shoulder a hundred times during the photos. Ahhhhhhhhh.

So pretty


I honestly can't think of anything about the wedding that went terribly wrong. That long aisle gave me nightmares for weeks. I envisioned various scenarios with our little ring bearer, and figured the mostly likely one would be that Caden would balk like a donkey, scream NOOOO, and run for the hills. Right up till the last minute, I was still deciding if I should carry him or not. I kept the faith and gave him a shot, and believe it or not, he walked. He chewed on a truck and stared at everyone like a deer in the headlights, but I'll take it! That's my boy! And to think I was worried.

See, he was already contemplating his escape.


I had to explain to Caden numerous times, we must respect God's space. He listened well.


ATTA BOY!

Shannon and Dane had an absolutely beautiful ceremony. She cried up the aisle, and so did I. Pam sang a couple times and gave me goosebumps. I was enthralled by Brian's readings and decided for him that he needs to lector. Father gave an awesome homily too. I think my favorite part was when Shannon corrected him on the appropriate amount of time to brush your teeth. (Are you confused? Ha...I figured.)

One word: relief!


The girls


Bubbas! (As Caden would say.)

The pics at the barn are seriously going to be magazine quality.

The good times continued at the reception. (Although, they played the Hawkeye fight song too many times. Where was the Rock Chalk chant?!) I had two helpings of potatoes, so that should tell you how good the food was. My apologies to whoever I cut in line in front of. (Yes, I pulled the bridesmaid card. I'm owed that, right?!) Heather and Hailey gave beautiful speeches. I will not comment on the guys...I'll just say, they were "interesting." (Crash and burn.)

Nice shades, Danger.

I'm sorry if I didn't get a chance to talk to you. I tried to talk to as many people as I could, but alas, so many people, so little time. I spent quite a bit of time with my parents and watching Caden. He was a maniac on the dance floor. He chased, stomped, and rolled on the fluorescent lights shooting across the floor. But, he could never seem to actually catch the light. That didn't deter him though.

Ladies, I've got moves you've never seen.


Caden and Bella fought like siblings the entire weekend.

Mom and Dad babysat Caden for the evening so Brian and I had some time on our own. This included HOURS at the hotel hanging with his cousins. I learned more about his childhood than I have in the past 8 years combined. FYI, if anyone is still wondering who shot out Grandpa Dick's windows and broke his hayrack, just shoot me an email. I'll give you a clue....BRIAN and 3 other partners in crime. I laughed so much my face hurt. Krysti and Cindy were the life of the party for sure.

Now we're back home. No matter how fun the trips are, it's always a relief to return home. Brian has had a rough couple days and now he's on the shooting range, freezing his butt off. Caden and I are already back in our routine of activities. We went to the Pumpkin Patch Wednesday and story time at the library yesterday. I'm excited to put him in his costume today. What do you think he will be?! Stay tuned...and Happy Halloween!

My boys

All four grandparents at once

Grandma Teresa had a TON of visitors over the course of the weekend.

Watch Out For Squirrels

Happy Fall everyone!

Ok, I know I've been negligent with the blog. No, I have not fallen off the planet (sorry to disappoint you). Just busy.

Brian graduated from Staff Academy, after six long weeks for all of us. It was worth the sacrafices, as he finished 2nd in his class and received special recognition. Recon Marine AND a scholar...we were proud. Now he's back to the grindstone. He's still playing catch-up but I think he likes being back in the normal routine. You will be shocked to hear that he even took a week off from training. Someone, call the papers! The extra family time has been awesome.

Staff Academy Graduation (Love the Service Alphas)

Speaking of training, triathlon season is offiically over for 2008...what a year! He finished with a bang. He placed 3rd at the Patriots Duathlon in Williamsburg on September 7th. It was supposed to be a triathlon but they cancelled the swim due to debris from Tropical Storm Hannah. (Yeah, Brian has an amazing knack for only competing in questionable weather.) As a result, we didn't have an opportunity to tour Jamestown, but we definitely plan to visit again. Williamsburg is a beautiful town with quaint shops, unique restaurants, and a rural feel. Definitely our kind of place.

His last race of the year was at Naylor's Beach. You may recall that Brian competed in this race last year. This time, we decided against the camping (ok, I decided against the camping, since I'm not dumb enough to repeat last year's fiasco) and stayed with one of Brian's coworkers. Despite the improved conditions, Caden once again optioned sleeping. He was scared and insisted on sharing a full size bed with Mom and Dad. Ugh...this is becoming an annual night of zero sleep. Anyway, Brian accomplished his goal of finishing 1st overall. His time was about 20 minutes better than last year. What a fabulous way to end the season.

Our preppy toddler

That water looks delightfully warm


All business

That's enough about Brian...he's boring anyway (ha, J/K honey). Caden and I are recovering from a cold, but otherwise, we're doing well. Caden is so much fun, as always. It never fails to amaze us at how well he understands us. Unfortunately, that means he is smart enough to ignore requests he doesn't like, or better yet, run and hide. He still loves being outside and thinks he can keep up with the big kids. Some of his new words include oh yeah, cah cah (helicopter), ilk (milk), gaaaahggy (froggy), bah (pacifier), mo (more), and cookie. And boy does he like to use that last word.

Cah Cah!


Look Mom, if I dump my oatmeal breakfast, it makes a nifty mud pit for my trucks.


As for his favorite things, we have gotten in a routine of building a gigantic pile of pillows and blankets and he practices his sprinting, jumping, and diving. Sometimes he misses and hits the floor, but he just snickers and keeps going.

Click to View a Video of Caden's Mountain

Caden is a friendly kid, waving at strangers and insisting on a high 5 or a shake. He loves to read and brings us books from his shelf constantly. Unfortunately, they're often the same ones. (Can we read something other than Choo Choo Clickety Clack, PLEASE?!) He is still fascinated with anything that has an engine, especially aircraft. I bought him helicopter and fireman pajamas and he drags them out of the laundry basket and carries them around like they're special treasures.

Wee-Ooo, Wee-Ooo!

Tackling Dad

His normal stance watching SpongeBob aka "Bubbas"


On a less happy note, his tantrums leave a bit to be desired, and he recently dislikes the Webcam, which breaks Grandma's heart. We'll keep trying.

As for me, MOMS Group at St. Francis is back in full swing and I've enjoyed meeting some new friends in the area. I'm still running and I actually have a race in DC tomorrow (Boo! Run For Life 10K). It's a Halloween-themed race...any good ideas for a costume? I started scrapbooking our races. I tried scrapbooking years ago and wanted to pull my hair out. I dig it now, so I'm not sure what changed. Maybe I'm getting old. Is scrapbooking an old hobby? (Now I shall get hate mail from all the scrapbookers.)

As for the title of the blog, I nailed a squirrel on my bike a couple weeks ago...true story. I was chugging along and out of nowhere something runs right under my shoe. Don't worry because the little varment lived. But I'm pretty sure my crank shaved a little off his top...HA...good riddance. Brian took me on a ride last Sunday. He worked me hard and coached me on all sorts of things I need to work on. New challenges.

My sister Jen visited last weekend! We took a trip to the Virginia State Fair in Richmond on Friday. We consumed immense amounts of deep fried food, watched Caden enjoy the rides, and witnessed Brian's embarassing attempts at carnival games (emphasis on embarassing.) It was a blast.

The Virginia State Fair

Bye bye! (Cade's first ride on his own)

Caden sneaks a kiss by the Shetlands (We love Shetlands)

We also got in a typical shopping extravaganza in DC on Sunday. We had lots of laughs over the course of the weekend and we definitely miss having our Jen Jen around. The only downer was she was sick the entire time, and was kind enough to share it with us.

Jen and Cade...our two buttons


My parents are full swing into harvest and Brian's family is full swing into a wedding. We fly into Cedar Rapids on October 22. We're looking forward to seeing everyone. Let's all pray that Caden actually cooperates and walks down the aisle...

Caden's First Race

Ready to Rock N Roll (I mean, Run)


Caden had his first official race. Both Brian and I competed in Runstock, a 5K race on base. We decided that one of us would push Caden in the stroller. We argued about it beforehand and couldn't decide who. After I watched Brian practice racing him around the parking lot, taking corners on 1 wheel, I said, "Uh uh....HE'S MINE." I'm the one that pushes him all the time anyway...he's my running buddy.

Caden looks nervous


Brian won by 1 second, in 16:10. Tight competition, but he thrives off that. Caden and I finished in under 25 minutes and 3rd in my age group. Too bad they hadn't given trophies for 3 places. I would have sent Caden up to get ours.

Brian trying to imitate Rocky


A very fancy, heavy trophy...it might rival Olympic medals


Afterwards, they had a concert on the lawn. The kids had a ball running around and throwing glow sticks. Caden stayed up till 10:30.

Hitting on the band groupies


Brian had 3 days off this weekend so we enjoyed some family time. We did some shopping for Caden, including winter clothes, a train table, and a train set. Or, was the train set for me and Brian? Not sure. Caden prefers to disrail the train, either disassembling the track or creating barriers.

Have a relaxing holiday!