Halloween 2012

Aaron went trick or treating with his buddies Eli and Tate this evening.  It got off to a rocky start when Tate decided to check out everyone's basements to see what toys they had, having to be carried out kicking and screaming, and Aaron falling and scraping his knee on the sidewalk.  Once everyone stopped crying, they had a pretty good time.

Fall Festival

Aaron insisted this year that he wanted to be Super Why again this year for Halloween.  Given that it is less work for me, I didn't argue.  Our neighborhood had a fall festival this weekend, so we got dressed up, loaded up the tricycle and headed to the community center.

Now Aaron thinks Halloween has already happened. He will be excited when Wednesday rolls around and we go trick or treating!

First Day of Basketball

Aaron had his first day of basketball practice this weekend.  They practiced dribbling, passing and shooting.  Aaron participated for a while, then he was done.

The Birthday Party

We celebrated Aaron's fourth birthday today with a Transformers themed party. The entertainment was provided by the Funbus, where the kids had a blast!

Optimus Prime cake, of course.

Then time for presents.

Button Master

Aaron buttoned up his pajamas all by himself this evening.  He has been buttoning one button here and there, but tonight, he lined them up, and buttoned them all in a row.  He was very proud.

In other news, he brought this "art" home from school the other day.   His teacher wrote down a quote, since he wouldn't draw anything.  It is more than we usually get (which is a blank sheet of paper).

Things Look a Little Better Today

Today looked better, where the fire was concerned.  The air was clear.  The winds were calm.  Our noses and eyes weren't burning from the smoke.  However, many hundreds of people have lost their homes.  Let's continue to pray for the brave firefighters who are battling this fire, and for the families without homes tonight.

The Cast Doesn't Slow Him Down

It's amazing to see how well Aaron has adapted to his cast.  He does get frustrated that he can't dress himself, but the cast hasn't slowed him down much. 

By the way, that hat is almost three years old, is waaaayyyy too small, but he insists on wearing it.

The Raging Fire

We took Aaron to have a permanent cast put on his arm at the Air Force Academy this morning.  The smell of fire burned your nostrils, and the smoke looked like it was moving closer.

By this afternoon, you could see the flames moving over the ridge, down towards the neighborhoods in the foothills. 

Then, the wind blew the ashes over our neighborhood, turning the sky orange, ashes landing everywhere.

By this evening, it was evident that the fire had reached the homes of Colorado Springs.  As I watch the news, 32,000 residents have been evacuated, and the Air Force Academy is closed.  Please continue to pray for those fighting the fires, those who have, and will lose their homes, and those who have been displaced by these fires. 

The Curse

It seems that we have picked up a curse, and brought it to Colorado. It began with the packing process in Virginia. We knew there was a problem when we found chunks of our wood furniture in the driveway, after they pulled away (at midnight, with a vase and tricycle riding in their laps). It took the movers about two weeks to deliver our goods, and when they finally arrived, most of our furniture was damaged.

 

Then, Aaron broke both of the bones in his forearm, while playing on a slide. 

  

 Oscar's skin issues have gotten worse since we have been here, which means he licks his paws and his belly until they become raw, cracked and bleeding.  So he has been wearing the cone of shame, until he can heal. He is seriously pitiful in it.

 

Finally, there is the Waldo Canyon fire. I took this picture with my cell phone right at the beginning of the fire.

I took another one two hours later, because it was growing so fast.

I took this one today. The smoldering fire to the left, closer to Pike's Peak, is where it began, with the billowing smoke where it is expanding.

Please pray for all of those fighting the fires, those who could lose their homes, and let's pray that the Hill luck begins to improve soon!

We've Moved!

Here we sit in Colorado, patiently waiting for our stuff to arrive.  Well, maybe not patiently.  We left Virginia June 8, but our household goods are still there.  At first, Aaron and Oscar loved having an empty house to run through, but after a while, Aaron started to miss his toys.  We miss having comfortable chairs to sit in.  Perhaps we will be reunited with our belongings soon....

On a side note, everytime Aaron wears these pajamas, he refers to himself in the third person, as "The Rock Star".  He definitely seems to be channeling the rock star mentality.