I must confess. I have been guilty of coveting the digital SLR cameras of others. Thank the Lord . . . I can stop coveting! I now have my own Canon 40D! Through obvious divine intervention I was able to buy a friend of a friend's camera. I am now on a mission to figure out what the heck I am doing. This picture of Grant on the slide is my first attempt to convert a picture to black and white in Photoshop.
Leave it to my son to create a "There's Something About Mary" moment with his own snot. If you have a moment please click on the picture and see this close up. It's priceless.
While we were in Alabama, my dad took us on a tour of Ft. Rucker where he learned to fly 30+ years ago. We also got to see where he and my mom were married, as well as their first apartment. As a lover of all things sentimental, I adored the experience!
Grant didn't care so much for the tour, but loved the trip to the airplane
museum.
Over Thanksgiving we went to Alabama to celebrate my grandfather's 80th birthday. It was so nice to be away from my own house, obligations, etc.
Here are some pics from the birthday party:
My Grandpa (on the right)
Kimberly (cousin), Grandmother, Me, & Micah
My mom and her brother, David.
Grant, cutting a rug at the party! 
I can hardly believe Thanksgiving has come and gone. We spent the day with Micah's family and it could not have been a more lovely time!
A picture of the whole family. Grant jumped out of my arms at the last minute . . .
My brother, Jeff, and his beautiful wife, Sarah.
Grant & Micah
Jen & Micah
I had the privilege of watching my adorable and precious nephew, Kieran, recently. These are the pics of Kieran and Grant at McDonald's (or Donald's according to Grant). Kieran, who is all of 3, recently told my mother that he shouldn't go to McDonald's for lunch because and I quote, "It is bad for me". Too bad that didn't hit home for me until I was about 22!
Today began Mission: Get Grant Potty Trained. He has on occasion "put his pee pee in the potty", but nothing consistent is going on. So, with Grant out of school for the next two weeks for Thanksgiving, I have decided to really give it a go with this potty training thing.
First thing this morning I put Grant in his Diego underwear, which he is quite fond of (but not enough to prevent urinating in them).
After several unsuccessful "sits" on the potty I decided to ask him one last time if he had to go. Of course he replied with a long drawn out, "Noooooooo . . ." but the hint of a smile suggested otherwise.
This is where I should have listened to my maternal instinct . . . but instead I returned to my bedroom to make the bed.
Next thing I know Grant runs in shouting, "Mommy, I made a mess! Mommy, I pee peed!" No surprise here . . . he pee peed all over the leather couch.
Fast forward an hour later. Grant (now in a new pair of Diego underwear) announces, "Mommy, gotta pee pee!" The outstanding mother I am, I rush him to his potty and yank down his underwear. . . and a pile of poop lands on the bathroom floor. Excellent. Pee pee on the couch. Poop on the floor. Diapers are looking real good right now.
I was about to give up and slap on a diaper when I thought about the strategies I use with the students I work with. Twenty minutes and one large glass of milk later, I took Grant back to the potty with my camera in hand. This was the result:
And of course . . . he LOVES it! Because who doesn't like to look at pictures of themself peeing while they are peeing.
