BREAKING: The Dish Ran Away With The Cup!

Contrary to previous reports, it appears documentation has been obtained indicating the dish ran away with the cup, not the spoon. Local resident, Owen Wilhelme, was as shocked as anyone over this revelation.


When asked for comment, Owen could only muster "wow." His expression, however, says it all.

It's Crazy Time

Ed is officially immersed in all that is Teach for America. It started off a couple weeks ago with induction - learning about the program and what he was getting himself into. They had events planned, one of which was a Diamondbacks game. The Diamondbacks are supporters of Teach for America and donated 3 club boxes. The president of the Diamondbacks spoke (and gave Owen a high-five on the way out since Owen was wearing his ASU gear) and then the ex-president of United Way, and now main donor to TFA, spoke.

This organization is crazy and what Ed is having to do is crazy and intense. Ed's training starts at 6:30 a.m. when he has to catch a bus to his summer school and usually ends at 2:30 a.m. when he finishes his homework or lesson plan. On top of Teach for America training, he is also taking a Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners class at ASU.

In order to understand everything he is going through, I've been reading a book called, Relentless Pursuit: A Year in the Trenches with Teach for America. It's a very good read and I highly recommend it.


Ed and Owen getting a pep talk from the president of the Diamondbacks


Not bad seats for Owen's first professional baseball game. (Don't get used to it kid - your dad's a teacher and your mom is a government worker. Lawn seats for you!)

Finger Painting ... Gone Awry

Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful fathers in our life. Today has been a low key father's day for Ed. We were able to have a nice breakfast together but after that, it was back to training for Teach for America. Owen and I decided to pass the time by finger painting. The kid loves to color so I thought I would mix things up. He had a good time doing it, and fortunately I was smart enough to take it outdoors, because he soon realized paint can go on other things besides paper.


Quietly painting on the paper.


Intense concentration.


Realizing you can also paint your belly.


Finger painting is awesome!

Problem = painted toddler. Solution = garden hose. Problem solved.

Toddler Pool Party

Owen's buddy Miles had a spontaneous pool party for his 2nd birthday last weekend. Pool parties are fun except when your kid wants nothing to do with the pool and instead wants to play with the bikes and trikes in the 100 degree heat.


We loved their pool - the rectangular shape and the fact it had an automatic pool cover so when the kids were done playing, they covered up the pool for safety.


Laying in the shade of a tree, giving some attitude.

Daycare Dog

Dawn wanted to go out of town for the weekend and asked us if we could watch her dog Oro, which we had no problem doing. Oro is the chillest dog. Given he is the dog for a daycare consisting of 5 kids under the age of three and lives with a cat, nothing fazes him. It was fun having him around and makes us think a dog could be in a our future.


Not sure who likes dogs more - Ed or Owen.


That's a love bite, we promise.


We took Oro to the park and on walks. Dogs are a good excuse to get outside, even if it's 100 degrees.


We finally got Owen to look at the camera by teaching him to say, "cheese." He hasn't caught on to the fact he is supposed to smile too but we'll take what we can get.

I love this photo though. My boys.

It's Triple Digit Time

Now that the pool is a nice 80 degrees and the days are reaching 100, we figure it's time for some serious pool time. Picking up where we left off last season, we're dunking Owen (which he still can't get enough of) and getting him to kick his little legs to get used to the feel of water. It's working out really well, he just gets tired pretty quickly so I envision a little bit every day being our regiment. It's tough the things you have to do for your kids when you're in Arizona, it really is.


Baby? What baby? Wait, there was a baby here, wasn't there?


Oh that one! See - he's cool.


Apparently step one when learning how to swim is learning to kick in the water. We've been going back and forth along the shallow end with him kicking his crazy baby legs as fast as he can. I don't think he gets exactly what's going on, but he sure is enjoying himself.

Camping Trip

This weekend we went to Sedona to get a little rest before the craziness of my being shipped all of three miles to intensive training camp begins. Three miles may not seem like much, but with 20 hour days on the schedule, it's going to be enough. The TFA training is at ASU, which is very fortunate for me because this is one of six or so regional training centers in the country and it's in my back yard. The good part is I get to come home (and do work) on the weekends, the bad part is that between now and July 17th Carrie is going to know what it's like to be a single mom. But I digress.

Sedona is beautiful and we had fun roughing it with Dawn and the other parents from the daycare. And I mean roughing it because we're rough at camping. We're determined to get better, though, so here are a few of our favorite moments to remind us camping isn't about what you forgot (I'm looking in your direction tent poles), it's about what you remember.


Sedona has beautiful red rocks everywhere.


Niah is such a cutie and how she kept that coat white, I'll never figure out.


Owen and Mom throwing rocks into the creek.


Pirates. Baby pirates.


Owen and Miles are becoming bosom buddies, which spells trouble for everyone else.


Camping lets you be a little more primal than usual.


How do bubbles taste, you ask.


Why bubblicious, of course.