Better Late than Never

Here are a few more pictures from the cousins visit. We went to the Natural History Museum and saw the dinosaurs and the big elephant and then rolled to Georgetown, we went to the Air and Space Museum at Dulles Airport (on a side note, this is Leo's ultimate favorite museum and he wanted to take everyone on a tour of the museum. He was so excited to present the space shuttle to Auntie Heather, Ethan and Riley), on Saturday we Thanksgiving and on Sunday we went to the Baltimore Aquarium and saw the cool sting rays, sea turtle with one fin, sharks, and a super Dolphin show.

Here are a few more pictures from our visit.

Here is a picture of the boys getting ready to head out for the day. We rented a small car during the visit so I usually drove the big boys and Jason usually drove the little guys. We rocked it in the rental car.

 The boys at the aquarium. The Baltimore Aquarium is pretty fun. The Dolphin Show is the best part of the Aquarium. I also really love the sting rays pool. Ethan and Riley were excited to see the Sharks.

 The boys played out on the tennis courts and the playground that are in the back of our house.
 They played soccer, rolled cars down the slide and played on the swings.

 We went to this restaurant in Baltimore before we went to the Aquarium and apparently they thought it was a good business plan to open a restaurant where the waiters are rude and treat customers badly. It was pretty funny and we had a great time but I thought this was kind of risky. What if people don't want to be back talked by their waiter, get their own food, and where a hat that says "I'm a world champion booger-eater".

 This is a side ways picture of Ethan, Riley and Leo at the Aquarium. Just lean your head to the left.

 Here is another picture at the Aquarium. We are waiting for the Dolphin Show to start.

At the end of the trip we were all sad that they were leaving. We had tears a few times but we had a really great time and look forward to their next visit.

We were happy that Riley's black eye and Leo's goose egg had faded and they made it home safely. Their trip sounds like a bit of nightmare since they came home to snow, snow, snow. It took them hours to get home from the airport when it should have only taken 20 minutes. I told Heather please don't let your travel home affect your decision to travel to DC again!

Cousins reunited at last!

Thanks to Dad and Joan the cousins have been reunited again! Heather, Ethan and Riley are here! And thanks to Pa, Ma is here too!!!

The kids have not stopped playing. Last night Aidan and Ethan didn't go to bed until midnight and in the morning they got up before 6am (DC time!!). They were on fire non-stop. Leo and Riley loved playing together too and all the kids played really well together too. They have been running, jumping, laughing, giggling, and occasionally screaming. We've had no fighting and only one crying incident.

Tomorrow we are going to go downtown to the Natural History Museum.

Thanks Dad, Joan and Pa! We are having a great time!

Happy Halloween

We had a fun Halloween! We did so much today. Before lunch Leo and I went to Tuesday Morning looking for a new bath mat. On the way home Leo put some fun sunglasses on that Sarah bought me for Halloween and he looked like a Diva. Okay, maybe not a Diva but he is Cute with a capital "C".

After a little shopping we came home and carved pumpkins. We have some pretty great pumpkins. The boys got totally into it. For the first year Aidan actually got his hands dirty and cleaned out the guts of the pumpkin. Go Aidan. Leo designed his own pumpkin with fangs and everything.

After carving pumpkins, we made caramel apples. And after that we had some friends over for pizza, salad, snacks, apple cider, and a Halloween cookie! Doris came over, Aidan's friend William, his sister Queenie and mom Elsie. Also our friends Mauricio, Misty, Magda (the pretty fairy), and baby Santiago. 

Aidan was a clone trooper and Leo was Iron Man. William was Darth Vader and Queenie was a cheetah. Magda was a pretty fairy and is two years old. She was cracking me up because she left one house and said "that was trick-or-treating" and she said it like "Now THAT is how you trick-or-treat!"

Aidan Won an Award!

Aidan won the Principal's Good Citizenship Award for community spirit and outstanding leadership in the 2nd grade at school the other day.  They announced the award at the school's town hall meeting last week.  We couldn't be more proud.

Announcing Two New Members of the Holma-Ritualo Family

 Aidan and Leo have wanted a cat for a very long time. A couple of years ago Aidan and I made a bet with Jason that if I didn't watch QVC for 100 days and Aidan didn't watch Cartoon Network for 100 days we could get a cat. Well we moved to a new house and we can't have a cat in the new house so we didn't get a cat. I really don't like not paying up on bets.

We didn't get an animal and we didn't we didn't get an animal. It hit me hardest when this year at school Aidan had his picture posted outside his classroom with a paper that had information about him (i.e. his favorite food (pizza)) and one statement said "Name of Pet" and Aidan wrote "I don't have a pet." How sad right???

So for Aidan's 8th birthday we decided to get him a guinea pig. Since we went away for the weekend we gave him a book about guinea pigs and promised on Sunday when we got home we would get him a guinea pig. He was so happy! If we weren't having so much fun at the hotel he would have wanted to leave early. We read the book about how to care for guinea pigs and it said that they are social and like to live in families.  Aidan is quick! He asked if we could get two. Aye!

So on Sunday, October 3rd we brought home Edward and Biscuit. We went to the pet shop and bought their home and then we went to another pet shop and fell in love with 10 week old Edward (I got to name him!) and Biscuit. Aidan has a very kind heart. When he saw the two of them sitting in the cage he was more concerned about leaving one behind than he was about taking two home. I'm a sucker for animals and for Aidan so he asked me quietly two or three times while we were in the store and I said "yes".

They are a little hard to tell apart but Biscuit has the darker hair at the top and Edward is lighter. We took them to the vet and found out we have two boys (thank God). They seem a little scared and nervous all the time but we love them and we think they like us too.

Auntie Rushell in Pakistan

Auntie Rushell left for Pakistan last Tuesday (August 31) on a Humanitarian mission to help with the flood relief efforts. She is going because the army is sending 18 helicopters and she repairs helicopters. The Department of Defense (DoD) has posted a briefing on Rushell's deployment and I have copied and pasted it at the bottom of this post. Also, here is a map of the flood areas in case you are interested.

I couldn't be more proud of Rushell. She will help people that have lost their homes, don't have food, clothing, or medical care. So far, the US military has transported over 3 million pounds of humanitarian relief supplies and rescued over 11,000 people.

Rushell left in a C-17 and we heard from her when they landed in Germany. In true form Rushell posted a picture of an Audi on her facebook page (it was on the base in Germany). She also included a photograph of her and her colleague (what's the right word?) on the C17. I thought it was really informative because I wondered what it looked like on the inside. How do you sleep on a plane like that for what must be a 15 hour flight?

She sure has had a very different experience traveling to Germany than I ever had. I get to fly commercial and get felt up at the Frankfurt airport traveling through security. It's the kind of inspection that you feel like you should have gotten a promise ring before that type of interaction-at least a nice dinner and glass of wine.

We haven't heard from her since she left Germany (Dad and Joan: if you have please let me know) but I have been watching the US Embassy Pakistan website.  On September 1st two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters arrived in Pakistan on a C17. They arrived at the Pakistan Air Force Base Chaklala, Rawalpindi. On September 2nd, the Embassy posted the arrival of 4 additional helicopters (it sounds like these are Marine helicopters). They note that the 18 additional helicopters from Alaska will arrive over the week and will arrive at the Chaklala Air Base and will eventually be moved to Ghazi Air Base. Chaklala Air Base is in Rawalpindi which is in the northern part of Pakistan. The map shows it in the Northeastern part of Pakistan, below Islamabad.

So, I know very little about Pakistan except that coincidentally when Rushell called last Saturday to tell us that she is leaving I happened to be reading a book called Three Cups of Tea which is the story of an American mountain climber who has devoted his life to building schools for Afghanistan and Pakistani children. After attempting to climb K2, unsuccessfully, he spends time in many small remote villages in Pakistan. Because he was a climber, the book talks a lot about the geography and natural environment in Pakistan-he even talks about the River Indus which is where there is significant flooding. I was happy I happened to be reading the book when she called to tell me she was leaving. I really recommend the book. I am more than two-thirds into the book and really enjoyed it. Joan is reading it too.

I'm not thrilled that Rushell's first trip out of the country is to Pakistan. I wish it had been to Italy. But I am in awe at what she is doing and I imagine that the next few weeks and months will be tiring, exhausting, and truly challenging and a really good reason for us to go to Italy when she gets back!

Additional U.S. Helicopters to Deploy to Support Pakistan Flood-Relief Efforts

The Department of Defense announced today the deployment of 18 additional helicopters to Pakistan as part of the expanding U.S. contribution to flood-relief efforts.

The aircraft, which include 10 CH-47 Chinook and eight UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters, and associated personnel are assigned to the 1st Battalion, 52nd Aviation Regiment, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade, based at Fort Wainwright, Alaska. The unit will operate in partnership with the Pakistani military throughout flood-impacted areas.

These helicopters are expected to begin flood-relief efforts in Pakistan in mid-September.

This is the latest in a series of deployments in response to Pakistan's urgent request for flood-relief assistance. Approximately 15 U.S. military helicopters and three C-130 aircraft already supporting flood-relief efforts in Pakistan have transported more than 2 million pounds of humanitarian assistance supplies and rescued more than 7,000 people, delivering much-needed aid and providing transport to people who urgently need emergency assistance.

Since the floods began July 29, the U.S. has provided $150 million to support immediate relief efforts and has allocated an additional $50 million to assist with re-establishment of communities impacted by the floods.
For information on the supporting unit for this deployment, please contact Army Alaska public affairs at 907-384-1542.

The latest information on U.S. government support to Pakistan's flood relief is available on the U.S. Embassy Islamabad Web site at: http://islamabad.usembassy.gov/flood_relief_assistance_2010.html .

First Day of Second Grade

Our big second grader did awesome at school today. He rules the school! (Like the "T-Birds"). We were a little concerned because when we went last friday to school to find out who his teacher was he didn't want to go and when we went to introduced ourselves to his teacher he got teary eyed and didn't want to go. He was ready to leave the minute we walked into the door. On the positive side, his friend William is in his class so when he saw him as we were walking out his face totally lit up and then both of them acted so cool like it was no big deal but inside they were ready to totally burst. It was SO sweet.

So this morning we all got ready to go, when we left the house he was a little quite but totally cool. I asked him if he wanted all of us to walk to the door with him or just him and dad and he said "just me and dad but you can pick me up." So we got to school, Jason and he got out, walked to the door, Jason said "so, do you want to go in here?", he said "yes" and they said good bye outside at the door and he walked inside to the gym. He was fantastic!

After school, I made it to the metro just in the nick of time. I seriously thought I was going to miss picking him up but I got there just before 3pm. I waited for him at the usual tree, anxious as could be and he came out smiling. I asked him "thumbs up, side ways, or thumbs down?" He said "thumbs up". I guess you can't ask for too much more than that. In his usual style he didn't talk about a whole heck of a lot. He said his teacher talked for a while, they went to gym, his teacher talked some more, they went to lunch and recess, his teacher talked some more and then they packed up. It's really what he said. I tried to ask about what she talked about. Math? Reading?  I got nothing.

After school we went to get ice cream to celebrate. It was a great day! He is growing right before our eyes.

I could end the post without sharing this picture of Leo with you. He fell asleep at about 6pm this evening before dinner. After dinner I came up stairs and this was how he was sleeping.