NASA rocks!

Yesterday, Brendan and I watched the Atlas V rocket blast off from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The New Horizons Spacecraft, launched by the Atlas V rocket, is destined to arrive at Pluto almost a decade from now and it was so cool! Bryan told me that it was going to be launched on Tuesday and it had been delayed a few days, but we got lucky on Thursday and watched it together. "Can I watch the shuttle blast off into deep dark mysterious space, mommy? " was what brendan said. We were lucky to have gotten "space vehicles" at the library by Anne Rockwell and that is the last line of the book. He is really good about remembering the words of books and it was neat to see him put it together.

Am I too old to be an astronaut? This is so cool! Check out NASA's New Horizons Web Site here.

Another Trip to the Georgia Aquarium

Today I decided to take the boys down to the Georgia Aquarium again. It was so neat the first time we visited and we were fortunate enough to get annual passes as gifts, so off we went today.

The first hour went fine, if you omit the demands to find the train that we see on the the highway getting downtown and then demanding to see the numerous cranes and construction equipment instead of marine mammals. After navigating the parking deck, running to the entrance to escape the cold (I'm so southern, it was probably only 45 or so) and getting frisked at the entrance we headed straight for the whale sharks. So cool. The tank is the largest in the world, as big as a football field and has a huge moving tunnel through it that allows you to stand there and really observe.

Having seen two of the six exhibits and braving the crowds I decide to try to get some lunch. Since they don't allow outside food, nor do they allow you to leave and come back in without a second ticket, I opted for the diner inside. Long story short, our lunch was accidentally dumped on the floor in front of my double stroller and probably 50 people waiting in line. I could swear that I was 13 again in the Peachtree Junior High and in the Yellow Cafeteria, wilting.

The staff was great, offered me new food, followed me to a table, made sure I was settled and were as helpful and as friendly as possible. I was really impressed by their help.

But, as the day wore on poor Aidan just wanted to get out and crawl around and Brendan I think had had enough marine life, so I decided to pack it up when Brendan was crawling down the stadium seating in the Deep Ocean (we went back at the end of the day) face first and Aidan is crawling like lighting in between people's legs, up stairs, under benches, and standing right up and staring at all the fish. It really is an amazing aquarium and so worth seeing, but alone with two kids and staying for 3 hours was a bit much in hindsight. Live and learn!

Do Dinosaurs Roar like this.....RRRRRRRahhhhhhhhhrrrrrr?

Brendan, Aidan and I met up with Buddy this past monday because she had the day off for MLK. We had a blast at Fernbank looking at all the dinosaurs and being allowed to growl in public. It was fun! Buddy got to take Brendan to see the stegosaurus outside and spent a long time farming with Aidan in the toddler room. We had such a good time, including our pb&j picnic in the atrium! We love you, Buddy!

Great Book

I just finished a great book, Shadow of the Wind by Carloz Ruiz Zafon. Great Read!

A long day!

So, most of my days are the normal errands, diapers, trips to the park. Here are a few pictures of Aidan in Target, at the park and pooped out in his car seat. And no park trip would be complete without Brendan climbing on top of the enclosed slide at the park, no doubt instilling fear into all the mothers of little girls and babies. Sorry!

Poppy's Birthday!

Happy birthday, dad! Brendan called Mumma and Poppy this morning to say happy birthday, but refused to sing the song. You can't argue with a three year old when the phone is dialing your parents and the baby is crying. So, I'm sorry dad for missing the song.

It's so funny how Brendan will use his imagination. He has turned the grocery cart into a race car, complete with helmet(a pot) and a seatbelt (a cord). And yesterday he "wrapped" all my cookbooks in those big rubber bands that tie the sunday paper, tucked a matchbox car in them and gave them to me as gifts. And right now he is pushing around a toddler chair on it's back, with a playdoh drill on top of it and calling it his lawnmower. You would think that we don't buy him any toys! and we do!

Aidan is so cute. He has finally caught onto signing and will furiously point his index finger into his palm to get 'more' of something and grunt at the same time. At walmart this morning, I opened a package of saltines and gave him a few. On the way home he did the sign for 'more' all the way home and screamed. At least now I know why he is crying! He is also a bit of a little devil and will look at me to see where i am and then furiously do his crawl/sidecrawl to get where he's not supposed to go. He'll race me to the bottom gate so that he can get a few steps up before I remove him.

So, that is what is going on right now. We are going to my parents for cake and ice cream tonight! Yippee!

Trip to the aquarium

Trip to the aquarium,
originally uploaded by bjbassett.

So at the Georgia Aquarium the penguin exhibit has a little tunnel that the kids can climb in and peek out inside the habitat. Sheilah is actually under all three kids in this picture holding them up so that they can see.

Daddy, Santa drank his beer!!!

Yep, those words rang out at our house on Christmas morning as Brendan went running downstairs, totally bypassing the christmas tree and all the presents under it. He was much more interested in the missing cookies and carrots for the reindeer and the empty beer bottle. So, he came running back up the stairs into our room yelling at us until we told him to check his doorknob since that was where santa left his stocking. so funny.

Christmas was great here. We had almost all the bassetts here for brunch and presents. Grandma and Brendan got to read some stories together, including a favorite of Brendan's 'Clara Caterpillar' by Pamela Duncan Edwards. They also looked up some new birds for Brendan in the backyard. He sure loves his Grandma.

Bassetts and Beamers hit Blue Ridge

A week ago tomorrow we went up to meet the Beamer girls at the Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad in Blue Ridge Georgia. Brendan LOVES trains and this was the perfect first train ride for him. An hour long ride up to a little town and then an hour long ride back.

His cousins corrupted him with sticking out his tongue :) but all had fun. Maureen, you are amazing!

Look at my baby Aidan cupcakes!

I'm hoping to share all the fun things that we have been doing and documenting it all before I forget and we are out of the baby/preschool stage.

Aidan turns one year today and here are his little cupcakes I made for his birthday. It was the nicest gathering I could have wanted (well, having Sheilah, Rob, Nolan and Trisha would have been perfect :( ) but we had pizza and good conversation and enjoyed the almost 60 degree weather here in sunny GA. The birthday boy blew out his candle,