The Egg Nog isn't even spiked!

Happy Holidays

Dear Family and Friends,     

                                                                                                                            

What a terrific year for the Kehs family!  This year was a whirlwind of emotions and included a great deal of  back and forth about where everyone would be (thank you Air Force), but in the end we got to spend most of the year together, which was a huge blessing for all of us.  

Mason started off the New Year by heading to Nellis AFB in Las Vegas with the 20^th Bomb Squadron for Red Flag.  There he participated in two weeks of large force exercises (about 50 planes from around the Air Force).  He did a lot of work learning how to lead mission planning and execute a mission from a higher point of view (how to manage all the planes to get the job done instead of just the B-52).  In January, he also finished up some flight instruction with some cadets in the Barksdale Civil Air Patrol unit, getting them some cross-country and solo flights.  In February, we started our week long journey North and said our farewell to Barksdale AFB after almost four years being stationed there.  Mason is now an Instructor Pilot in the 23^rd Bomb Squadron up at Minot AFB, ND.  Mason spent a few weeks in the late winter (or Spring as other regions call it) in the alert shack working exercises.  After getting familiar with the snow for a few months, we packed our bags and all headed to Chicago, where Mason got a few days to visit family before he headed to Maxwell AFB, AL for all of June and July.  He headed home just in the nick of time for Woodrow’s delivery, and spent August in the new parent phase again.  September through November Mason spent more time in the cozy alert shack for exercises and inspections and then flew to Barksdale for a week of training.  In the meantime, he’s “home” in December but flying lots, preparing for an annual check ride, and studying, studying, studying for Weapons School.  We’re soaking up with time with him now before he heads back to Barksdale for five months in 2014.        

This year, Ellen got to completely enjoy being a stay at home mom; and she wouldn’t trade this experience for anything else.  She enjoyed her time teaching and tutoring, but is loving all the time at home with her boys.  The beginning of the year was spent taking as many naps as Theo would allow for the first-trimester mama, and busily packing up our Shreveport house, and then setting up our new Minot house (which is our favorite house so far)!  She jumped right in to be involved with the 23^rd spouses group and helps to coordinate and plan socials for the spouses and squadron-which she loves to do!  She also joined the Minot Officers’ Spouses’ Club and this year has been serving on the Board as the Secretary.  In June we headed off to Evanston for a month where we got to see family and friends, which was fun for me and Theo.  In July, Theo and I spent the month alone in Minot and spent lots of time coloring, playing in the pool/sprinkler, and at the park.  Sweet Woodrow was born in early August and we’ve all just been having a blast since!  

Theo is amazing!  He is so verbal for a two year old, it’s really amazing (and he just turned two on September 29^th).  He wasn’t a big fan of the snow when we first moved to Minot, but he really likes playing in it this year.  He’s totally into Sesame Street, trains, his bear “Robert”, reading books, helping mommy around the house, following daddy around the house, and playing with his little brother.  We are constantly amazed at all the words, phrases, and sentences he is starting to say (and repeat). He knows all of his letters, lots of colors, and numbers, and is working on potty training.  He’s a little shy around new people, but once he warms up, he’ll talk your ear off (wonder which parent that comes from)?

Our little Woodrow was born on August 5^th and is adorable!  He has such a good spirit and is so even tempered.  He’ll smile and smile at you and coo all the time.  He has a super strong grip, so he loves grabbing on to toys on his playmat, or his big brother’s finger.  He’s growing well, and on his 4 month birthday started rolling from his back to his front.  He really likes to roll and play and check out all the happenings of the household.  

We hope that all our family and friends have a happy and healthy New Year!  Keep up with our adventures on our blog at: http://ellenmason.blogspot.com and stay tuned for our upcoming adventures! 

Love,

Mason, Ellen, Theo, & Woodrow

Glitter Jars

I found this activity/craft on Pinterest (of course) and thought I had nothing to lose by trying it out.  The original intent was for this to be a time out tool.  The idea is that when a little one is in time out, they shake up the glitter jar, and when all the glitter settles they can get up, and hopefully they've calmed down in the process.  I figured HA! this would either work great because Theo would just keep shaking it and get distracted in time out, or...he'd be throwing such a fit the glitter jar would be destroyed.  Either way, he mostly just has it in the playroom and shakes it up when he feels like it, and we haven't used it for time outs.  It was an easy project, and once we collect some more containers, we may make more with the different glitter we got

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Splashdown Water Park in Minot

While Mason's Dad was in town for Thanksgiving we decided to try out a few different Minot attractions, one of which being the Splashdown Water "Park".  This indoor waterpark is attached to one of the hotels at the mall in town.  It was actually super fun, and Mason and I considered going back on a date night. 

They have a small arcade type area, small locker room area, and then the pools.  There was a small zero depth pool with two kiddie slides, and two tall "fountain" like structures.  There are three FAST waterslides, a large hot tub, and then a 4 foot pool.  I was impressed that the water temperature was actually pretty nice.

When we went in, I took Theo to the big slides first.  About halfway up the stairs I thought that maybe I should have tested the slide first before taking Theo, but we were already headed up, and he was enthused.  OH MY!  There are two open slides and one enclosed slides (not for me). We went down the yellow slide.  All the way up there were notices about only one person going down at a time, but at the top there was a pucture guide about how to sit with a child in front of you.  So I sat up with Theo in front of me and put my arms around him and down we went.  Quickly I realized we needed to lay down, and OMG it was super fast.  About halfway down I was thinking we may flip out of this thing, and what the heck am I going to do with my baby when we get to the end of this slide (fortunately Mason was there so "catch" Theo).  We went zooming out and I pushed Theo up and out of the water (he was a good sport about getting his face wet).  I think we were both a little shook up, but he did ask to go again.  We took quite a long break playing in the other pools (and Grandpa Dave and Mason of course had to take turns on the slides).  Mason ended up taking Theo one more time, and did quite the good pass off to Grandpa Dave, but there was definitely a moment when I felt like Mason and Theo were going to flip out of the slide.

Overall it was a super fun place that I would go back to, if we could find it at a low-crowd time.  We were really lucky that there was hardly anyone there when we went, just a few middle school boys, and it was nice and quiet.  Another fun Minot find!

   

Woodrow at 4 Months

Is time really going this fast?  I can't even wrap my head around the fact that Woodrow is already FOUR months old.  He is truly the sweetest little guy.  He cooes and smiles and is always so happy.  This was a big developmental month for Woodrow and it's so fun to watch him grown and change, even if it's happening way to fast.

Hi mom

Weight: 14.6 lbs
Height:  25.8in

Da Bears

 
Eating:
Woodrow nurses every 2-3 hours during the day for about 15-20 minutes.  He gets all breast milk.  I've been able to store almost 3000 ounces exactly, and we ordered deep freezer number two.  I hope to nurse until about 10 months and then swap to bottles of breast milk until he's 18 months old.  So far, we're doing well to stay on track for that.  I pump about 3-4 times a day depending on how are day is going.  Usually once in the morning, midday, and before bed.  Woodrow has gotten better with taking a bottle, so that's helpful.  Usually about 2 hours before bedtime, I'll feed Woodrow hourly, but since he's been doing well with sleeping, I've tried to stop that little cluster feed.  His spitting up has lessened, as well as his pooping, so it's nice that all those little body parts are developing.  We'll probably introduce cereal in the next month, but I'm trying to keep him little as long as possible.  

You mean, I have to wear this from now until May!

Sleeping:
Woodrow sleeps about 11-13 hours straight each night!  Go baby go!!!  We were putting him to bed after Theo around 10:00pm, but then I felt bad waking him up in the morning if I wanted to go out with Theo.  Now I try to work out the feedings so that he's eating around 8:00/8:30 and in bed following that feeding, that gives us a little time with Theo to wind down, and then us parents a few minutes to breathe at 9pm and maybe say hello to each other.

So, about that bath...

Some New Tricks and Developments:

-He will wiggle off the boppy and wiggles around his crib

-Smiles ALL THE TIME.  He gives the biggest grins

-This month he's worked so hard on rolling over from his back to his front.  He can roll onto his back, but doesn't seem that interested in it.  On his 4 month birthday he rolled multiple times from back to front and is now a champ!

-Woodrow will coo and chatter at you. Ga ga ga, although we're working on ma ma ma

-Theo thinks it is HI.LAR.IOUS. when Woodrow reaches out and touches Theo's face.  Too funny!

My dear friend Andrea made these ADORABLE shirts for the boys. 

-He started sitting up in the bumbo

-We took the baby insert out of his baby bathtub, and he's warmed up to baths more.  The water has to be just right (lukewarm)

tummy time

-His arms bust out of the swaddle and at the end of the month we switched him to the sleep sack for sleeping.

-Had his first haircut...I think this beats Theo.  Despite his bald spot in the back, the hair around his ears was just out of control

-Met both of his Grandpa's. My parents came to visit in early November, and Mason's dad came the end of November.  :)

-He turns 360 in the bed, and moves everywhere.  Once I started seeing signs of him moving in bed, I couldn't help but watch him over the monitor every night.  He is a wiggle worm and just moves all night long.

Mommy doesn't want Daddy to cut my hair

-Has a little bit of craddle cap

-His nails grow like weeds, we are constantly cutting them

Splash Town

-Grabs his toes

-Experienced his first snow

-Went to a swimming pool for the first time

-Fingers, fingers, fingers...yum, yum yum!

-Had a sleepover when big brother Theo decided to sleep on the chair in his room one night

Facetime with Grandma and Grandpa

The changes seem to happen faster and faster with this little one, and he seems like he wants to crawl soooo badly!  Of course, who wouldn't want to keep up with Theo!  I love being these boys' mom.  We're tired, but happy parents.  :)

    

 

Halloween

Clearly behind on my updates, BUT better late than never.  This year, we decided Theo was old enough to do a little trick or treating and get into the holiday spirit.  His first two Halloween's were spent passing out candy.  Mason had to work the entire week as part of an exercise, so unfortunately he missed all the fun, but he got to enjoy the fruits of our labor.  :)

The Saturday before Halloween the Roosevelt Zoo (one of our FAVORITE places in Minot) has a Boo at the Zoo.  Which was the last seasonal event of the year, and was a special treat since the zoo had closed the beginning of October.  It started at 1:00pm so I figured we'd get there right at one, spend and hour and head home for a late nap.  I seriously underestimated how many people would be there.  We had to park across the street, wait in line for 45 minutes, and then once inside we didn't even do any of the Halloween activities because there were more long lines; but the truth is Theo just wanted to see the animals anyways.  He wore his flight suit to the zoo, since we wanted to save our "real" costume until Halloween. 

On Halloween morning I took the boys to downtown Minot where some of the smaller, local businesses has trick or treating going on for two hours.  It took us about an hour and we visited all of the shops.  Theo again wore his flight suit, one of Mason's old flight hats, and carried his airplane Easter basket for collecting candy.  He was ADORABLE, but a little chilly.  After a few stores, his bag would get weighted down with candy, and he'd sort of drag his airplane along the ground saying, "airplane to tired, fall down."  So we had to dump candy into the bottom of the stroller every few stops.  He did a great job and it was a good practice run for what he would see on Halloween night.

In the afternoon we headed over to the Medical Clinic on base who we'd heard did an awesome Haunted House and candy passing out.  In retrospect, I should have skipped this.  I ended up waking Theo from a nap, we had to go wait in line in the cold, it was a lot of walking for his little body, and then we cut out early to go back home, change into his trick or treating costume and make it to the neighbor's house in time for our pre-trick or treat dinner party.  It was a little dark and scary for Theo too, but I'd say good for kids a little older.

We ran home, did a quick costume change into his Waldo costume!  Glad it worked out, because it was out first try of the whole thing.  I took several white long sleeve shirts and layered them on him and then wrapped red stripes made of duct tape around him.  I painted on some glasses with some old face paint I had found and he was ready. Mason made his cane out of brown duct tape and toilet paper rolls the weekend prior.  Woodrow changed and was looking mighty cute in his pumpkin outfit (a Theo hand-me down).   

My neighbor Audra had several of us over for a potluck Taco Bar before trick or treating, so we grabbed some food, and the Dad's who weren't working stayed back to pass out candy while Audra took some of the older kids and headed one direction, while my other neighbor Lisa and I stuck with the 2 and younger crowd.  We basically did our entire block (a circle) and then another street.  It was pretty cold by the time we headed back, but I think Theo really had fun!

We even had time to pass out a few treats to kids once we got home.  They were all excited because they were getting handfuls of candy so we didn't have to keep it all.  Another bag of leftover candy got sent into work with Mason the next week, and we've still got some pieces left! Between all the candy and boo bag excitement, Theo's really into Halloween.  He's very quick to notice though if you are eating "Theo's candy." 

Boo Bags

Adding eyes

Checking out our good work

Adding goodies to our boo bags

 I like finding fun little activities to do with Theo, because at this age, he is so much fun and thinks everything is so exciting!  Since he started to get into Fall/Halloween this year after seeing a Halloween display at Menards and going to the pumpkin patch, I decided it would be fun to do boo bags with Theo.

Ready to be delivered

This was an experience that I first had in the military community-I can't remember if it happened at Sheppard or just Barksdale, but basically the idea is that you "Boo" someone by leaving an anonymous bag of goodies outside someone's house and include a note with details explaining what "booing" is and how to pass it along.  Usually once you've been booed, you make some boo bags and boo two other people.  You also hang a small sign on your door saying you've been booed, so the fun gets shared with even more people.  This year I got the direction and boo sheet off of this site.

Checking out what's in his bag

The project was a week long project because we talked about it one day, went shopping another, make pumpkin bags the next (they were way to small), stuffed our bags, and finally delivered them.  We made four bags (two for our neighbors on either side or us, and two that we passed to people without kids).  Theo had lots of fun talking about boo bags, and he liked to deliver them, although we got caught at one of the neighbors because the dog barked and then Theo dropped the bag, but it's okay.

Ooohhh-treats for Theo

Theo decided Woodrow needed to read this book while we were making boo bags

The funnest part was, that since we took so long getting out bags out, the day we were set to deliver them, Theo and Woodrow got a boo bag delivered to our house.  Theo thought that was the best thing ever!  His boo bag had pencils, glow sticks, candy, and little spiders inside.  He talked about it all day for days.  He was so happy he got a boo bag too!