Saturday, October 22, 2011

The Pumpkin Patch


It's down to 87 degrees now, which means, of course, that it's finally fall!  The leaves are changing from dead (thanks to the 6 month long drought) to green; the morning air is brisk; Lorein's making roast for dinner tomorrow; and the pumpkin patch is stocked and ready to delight.  As you can see, Caleb was excited for his first Halloween.  I'm sure he's looking forward to sticking his hand into that Jack-o-lantern's guts and immediately putting whatever he scoops out into his mouth.


Carter found a pumpkin just his size.  He's also at this fantastic stage where he's constantly making faces.  Lorein thinks it's annoying, but it makes me laugh.  Lorein says he's learning it all at preschool.  She says he's a total ham, that he's always trying to get the other kids to look at him.  Last class, one of the girls told him his face wasn't funny and Carter replied, "Yes it is."  Then they got into a fight.
 
Welcome Fall!  And Carter displaying his go-to funny face, which he learned from "The New Baby" by Mercer Mayer.

 
Now that's a picture for a fall catalog.


 They had a great little train pulled by a riding lawnmower.  And it was free!  If there's one good thing about leaving California, it's that we're always pleasantly surprised when things end up being free.

 
 We bought two small pumpkins for Carter and Caleb and then a bigger one to carve.  It ended up being $8 even.  Like I said, there are a few advantages to leaving California.
 
They also had a great (free!) hayride.  Caleb really liked the hay part.
 
 
 It was a fun day.  Maybe in a month or so we'll actually have to be in pants and a sweatshirt.

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Natural Bridge Safari

My mom and dad came to visit last weekend. As you can see from their t-shirts and general glumness, Carter and Caleb were going through some heavy "papa" withdrawals.

I had to go to Charlottesville all week for some JAG training, but that didn't stop the rest of my family from having a ton of fun. On Monday, they went to the Natural Bridge Safari Park. I guess if there's one good thing about Texas, they don't stop you from getting up close and personal with the animals. Take that San Diego Wild Animal Park! (Note to Wild Animal Park: that was a joke. I have nothing against your conservationist, environmentally-friendly bent. Please don't take away my membership!)



Now that's a family!

On a related note, I came home to find three big scratches down the side of the truck. My mom says it's from the Dairy Queen Drive-Thru though, not from enraged animals.

First day of school! (sort of)

Carter started preschool last week. There's a group of five women or so that are doing it. Each month, they trade of teaching. Right now, it's our next door neighbor. My favorite part is that Carter calls her "Miss Melanie." He even saw her today playing the organ during church, and he shouted "Daddy, there's Miss Melanie!"

Showing off his sweet backpack (it's Thomas the Train).

As you can see, he's learning a lot. Well, at least all the important letters :)

Sunday, September 4, 2011

The happiest day of his life (almost)

Well, I guess it wasn't THE happiest day of Chris' life, because that, of course, would be when he married me; outside of family events, though, I think this one is definitely at the top. What happened? The Army dropped this:

from the everyday uniform.
Chris absolutely hated the beret and was rejoicing when the announcement was made.
So now, he gets to look like this:



Instead of like this:


You can read some of the article here or click on the title to read the whole thing if you're really interested.

Army dumps beret as official ACU headgear

By Lance M. Bacon - Staff writer
Posted : Monday Jun 13, 2011 8:08:04 EDT
The troops spoke, and the leadership listened: On Tuesday, patrol caps will once again be the official headgear for the Army Combat Uniform.
The beret change is one of several key uniform changes provided to Army Times by Sergeant Major of the Army Raymond Chandler.
The changes were prompted by feedback from “thousands of soldiers” through post-deployment surveys, social media and discussions with soldiers during base visits, said Chandler, who sees himself as a “scout” for the Army secretary and chief of staff and a “voice in the Pentagon” for every soldier.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Thomas the Teddy Bear

Carter decided on a name for his bear that Grandma Shari and Papa Chris sent for his birthday.  This thing is big.  Really big.  But I think I should just be grateful that Shari didn't send a puppy like her mother-in-law did for her kids one Christmas.  Besides how can I complain about the size when the boys look so cute sitting on him.




Saturday, July 9, 2011

Carter's Birthday - Number 3!

Carter turned 3 on Thursday.  We didn't have his party until Friday -- we've yet to celebrate his birthday on his actual birthday (last year, we did it 5 days early so I could be there before I went off to join the Army).  Since we weren't ready to turn our house over to a bunch of screaming, sticky-fingered, boogery nursery-ites, his party was a small time affair.  It was just our family and my Army buddy Phil (earlier in the week, I asked Carter who he wanted at his party.  He answered 'Just me and Caleb and Mommy.'  I asked if I could go and he replied, 'Oh sure Daddy.  Sure, you can come too.'  I'm glad he relented because I had a very fun time, and Lorein's cake was really delicious.)

We made sure he had a full day of fun too.  He woke up to a big "Happy Birthday" sign and some balloons in the family room.  Then Lorein took him for some donut holes.  Donut holes are quickly becoming his favorite; they're like little baby donuts!  Unfortunately, Lorein and I are getting addicted to them too.  Then, they met me at work for lunch.  We gave him the choice of McDonald's or Chick-Fil-A, but Lorein did some manipulative persuading so he'd choose the latter (she told him he could have ice cream if he chose Chick-Fil-A).  For dinner, we had spaghetti and then, it was PARTY TIME!!!   









I think he was in shock from his haul.

And a little giddy.


His Aunt Mary Ann really hooked him up.

What the what?!  This better be filled with Dr. Pepper!


Hmmmm . . . cuuuupcaaaaake.

Lorein's homemade frosting is like a dreamy cloud . . . but only if the cloud were made of sugar instead of water vapor.  I've always found that water vapor doesn't totally satisfy me.  By the way, Lorein says the key is real butter and heavy whipping cream.

Friday, July 8, 2011

Caleb's Blessing


On May 14th, we blessed Caleb in Temecula at Chris' parents' house. We flew down for the occasion and the boys and I spent almost two weeks in California. Both boys have been blessed in the Crall home and it's been a neat experience. Chris gave Caleb a very sweet blessing.

My parents were able to drive up from Las Vegas, and Cary and Mary Ann came down from Utah. Chris' Grandma Riley (GG to Carter and Caleb) was also there. It was a great family affair and we're grateful that Chris' parents were willing to host us and for everyone who came.

Unfortunately, the pictures of the group turned out really blurry - Dad, did you get any good pictures of the group? You'll just have to take my word for it that everyone was there. Sorry (or you're welcome) to anyone who's not pictured:-)


In case you couldn't tell, Caleb makes this sad face a lot (even when the sun isn't in his eyes).
We actually do get some smiles now.


The only decent picture of my dad and Caleb from the visit

Thursday, July 7, 2011

One more try

Well for the two people who may actually still check this or haven't deleted our blog from their reader, I'm giving it one more try (make sure you sing that last part like Timmy T).  I know I've said this before but here is my reasoning this time (in no particular order):

  1. It will help me remember to bring my camera places and to take more pictures. I know it's silly and shouldn't really matter, but if I know I'm going to be blogging I take more pictures and I take my camera more places. I think at this point in Carter's life we had at least 500 pictures of him. I don't know if I even have 30 of Caleb. Yep, he's already a victim of "second child syndrome.''
  2. I need to do better at recording/documenting/keeping a journal. I think this will also help me appreciate my kids more and the opportunity I have to stay home with them. Being a mom of two has been kicking my butt and I really need the reminder. It seems like most days it's an accomplishment if I get a shower though, so I don't know exactly where I'm going to fit in the blogging. But as my good pal Tim Gunn always says I'll "make it work!" 
  3. Since Chris joined the Army one year ago (yep, it really has been a year - it was the anniversary on July 4th) we still have three years left in our commitment (could be more obviously if he decides to stay in longer). So we're going to live far from family and friends for a while and I want to have a place where we can reconnect (only if you want to of course).

So here it goes - another try at blogging!



At least Carter seems excited about the prospect.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Welcome Caleb Vincent Crall!

My wife has impeccable timing. Over a month ago, she was talking with her mom, Phyllis, about her mom coming to visit for the new baby. Obviously, we didn't know when the baby would arrive, but Phyllis had to buy plane tickets before the airlines boosted prices. The two of them settled on the weekend before Lorein's due date (March 15). Phyllis arrived last Thursday and was a huge help cleaning and shopping and creating and quilting and just getting everything ready for the baby. Come Sunday, however, we were a little discouraged because Lorein wasn't having any contractions and it looked like the baby wouldn't come before Phyllis had to leave Tuesday evening. I was especially bummed because I've been worried about the logistics of this pregnancy ever since I learned we would have to deliver at Wilford Hall Medical Center on Lackland AFB. For those of you unfamiliar with San Antonio, Lackland is in the southwest part of the city, while we live in the northeast. In other words, it would be hard to find a place in San Antonio farther from us than Lackland. It takes 45 minutes to get there on Saturday morning with no traffic. I was super worried about Lorein going into labor during rush hour and it taking us an hour and a half to drive down there. I was also worried about what to do with Carter. If we had to make a late night drive to the hospital, who would watch Carter? Would he freak out if we weren't there? I was really, really, really, really, really hoping the baby would come while Phyllis was there. So, like I said, we were a little down but putting on a brave face.

We planned a picnic at Ft. Sam for Monday's lunch so Phyllis could see the post. When they arrived for lunch, they told me Lorein had been having contractions since about 11:00 that morning. I was excited because not only did it mean Phyllis might be there to save us major hassle, but I would also get to leave work early. After lunch, I went back to the office, tied up some loose ends, left, and got home around 3:00. Phyllis and Lorein were timing her contractions and they were about 45 seconds every few minutes. This alarmed me because that was the timing for when she had Carter -- she never made it to that magic one minute, one minute, or whatever it is. Because of the contractions, the belief (myth as it turns out) that second labors are about half as long as first, and the looming rush hour, I wanted to get to the hospital as soon as possible. I finally convinced Lorein and she labored in the back seat of the truck for the 40 minute drive (we hit no traffic, and I drove fast). The only snag was when we got to the base and the gate guard told her she had to put her seat belt on. This is ironic since the gate is literally right outside the hospital. Had he really never seen a woman in labor going to the hospital before? I told him she was in labor and we drove on without him offering a response.

At the hospital, Lorein did NOT want to go inside. She wanted to walk around forever, or at least until she was sure she was ready to pop. Again, we timed the contractions and they were about 45 seconds every two minutes. This persuaded me she was about to pop, and I convinced her to head up to the birthing center. On the way, she told me that if she was only a 6, she was going to kill me.

We went up to the birthing center and were told to wait. We waited for about an hour before we were put into a little curtained partition to (again) await the doctor. After being in there for about a half hour, the doctor came in and checked her (this was about 6:30). She was at a 5. Lorein did not kill me, although she did give me a very dirty look. Really though, she had no justification for killing because she said she would kill me "if she was only a 6," and she was only a 5, so she didn't even meet her own standard for murder.

We were admitted to a delivery room and Lorein labored and labored. I won't go into the details because I know none of the men reading this care. Maybe one of you ladies can convince Lorein to tell her story and then you'll know, but it won't come from me. Suffice it to say that Lorein finally had Caleb Vincent Crall at 2:05 in the morning and that he weighed 8 lbs. 7 oz. Oh, and that he was born on March 15 -- again, impeccable timing.

As for the name, "Caleb" because we like it, "Vincent" for Vin Scully, and "Crall" because that's our last name. Caleb was a name we'd always liked, but I originally nixed it because it starts with "Ca" just like Carter. We just couldn't come up with another name we loved, though. There were a lot of names that we thought were ok, but we couldn't nail one down. A few weeks ago, I decided that, who cares, we like Caleb so we're going for it. We also kept with our motif of using the middle name to conjure up somebody we like. Lorein chose Archie for Carter because Archie Goodwin is one of her favorite literary characters. I chose Vincent for Caleb because Vin Scully, simply put, makes me happy. Hearing him say "Welcome to Dodger Stadium, and a beautiful [insert day of the week here] to you, wherever you may be" is like dunking me in a seratonin bath. Besides, if you're gonna have an "Archie," you might as well have a "Vinny" too.

Carter was very excited to see the new baby. We've been reading books about families with new babies for the last couple of weeks, so we were hopeful he would be accepting of the new influence in his life.

What really sold him, though, was the fact that Caleb got him a present. Carter played with that train the entire rest of the day. This morning, he woke up and immediately went at it again. When I asked him where the train came from, he said "My baby brother Caleb. He got it because he loves me. And I love him too." Nice choice Caleb!



Again, huge thanks to Phyllis for all her help. She made my life approximately one bazillion times easier.

And, although he likes Caleb, Carter still wants to show him who's the coolest dude around.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Carter's last solo hurrah


Since Lorein is due next week, this is probably Carter's last chance to get his own post. Hopefully it's a good one. Oh, and Carter is really stuck on calling the new baby "Octupus." Today, I suggested a different name and Carter got really sad. But then he brightened up and said "How 'bout Octupus?!" Maybe it's a nickname that'll stick. We do have high hopes for their relationship, though. He tells everyone in Nursery he's going to have a baby brother and he's a pretty sweet boy. I think he'll be a good big brother.

Grandma Shari and Grandpa Chris came to visit and took Carter to some of his favorite things -- trains and horses. By the way, the horse's name is actually Mr. Cowboy.


We also got to hit up the San Antonio Rodeo, which was a lot of fun. It's refreshingly stripped of pretense and diva-ism. They move from event to event without interminable fanfare, and, if the contestants fail, they just ride on to wait for another chance while the crowd applauds in an attempt to buoy their spirits. I left a big fan and hope we can catch a few more rodeos before we leave Texas.

As you can see, we all got into the cowboy spirit . . . which of course meant that Woody had to come along. And now Carter won't go to Church unless he's wearing his cowboy boots.






And lastly, Carter has officially become a little boy. He climbs all over the furniture, jumping from couch to ottoman and back again. He loves the swings and the slides (although he still has his mother's OCD since he won't go down the slide if it's dirty) and is really, really fun to be around.

Next likely post: Baby time.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Best Friend

Lorein called me at work today so I could hear what Carter had been telling her all day. Needless to say, it made me feel pretty neat. I guess all that train track building is paying off!

Monday, January 17, 2011

San Antonio Zoo

We went to the San Antonio Zoo today and had a great time. It's actually a really good zoo, despite the fact there were no giraffes or gorillas. The exhibits were well done, and the animals were close enough you could actually see them. Plus, the animals were out and about today (I've heard it's different on a 100 degree summer day). The reptile house was A+ and the train was well worth $3.00. The highlight of the day was when we were in the aquarium. We came up to one of the tanks, and Carter said, "It's a lionfish." And they were lionfish! I have no idea how he knows that.

As you can see, Carter loves elephants, but apparently the hippos were quite forgettable.


Friday, January 14, 2011

Administrative Law

I officially hit two months in the office today, so I figured I should blog about the milestone, especially since people keep asking me what it is I do exactly. First off, let me say that I really like my job. On our anniversary a couple of weeks ago, Lorein turned to me and commented on how much happier I am this year as opposed to last. And today (which I had off since the Army turns all three-day holidays into four-day holidays!), I even spontaneously told Lorein how much I like my job. I know I've only been here two months, so things could change, but it's a good sign. All I know for sure is that I am so so so so happy I left the law firm. I did everything I could to avoid having to join the Army, but, as of right now, I'm really glad I did.

As for my schedule, I have PT (physical training) every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. On those days, I report at 6:30, work out with the other Soldiers in my office until 7:30, shower at the gym, and get into the office by 9. Tuesday and Thursday, we have to be in the office by 8. The position I'm in right now, Administrative Law, lets me leave pretty much at 5 (1700) every evening. I'm usually pretty tired when I have to get up in the morning, but I actually really like being forced to work out. I'm getting into much better shape and I wouldn't have the motivation absent the push from my co-workers.

I'm attached to the Army Medical Department Center and School, which is where the Army trains all of its medical personnel. And it's actually being expanded to include medical personnel from all branches of the military. I work in the Administrative Law department; basically, we're the general counsel for the med school. Our main focus is on ethics -- conflicts of interest, financial reporting, training, etc. There's a lot of issues with the doctors getting invitations to speak, working in other jobs, etc. We also help draft and review all the contracts between the med school and other organizations, which means I dabble in fiscal law as well. The other big portion of my job is reviewing investigations to make sure they're legally sufficient. The med school has to get my approval to kick somebody out of the Army, hold somebody financially liable for missing/damaged government property, etc. In addition, I review all the investigations into misconduct to make sure they were done correctly. It's really interesting because I get something new everyday, so it's never boring. On the other hand, it can be pretty difficult because there's so many regulations I have to sift through sometimes to find the right answer. Luckily, my supervisor (who's a civilian attorney) has been doing this for awhile and can usually point me in the right direction. I was pretty excited the other day, though, when I got a call from a Major and I actually knew the answer to his question. At least it shows I'm learning! So, that's what I do right now. My boss told me, however, that I'll probably move this Summer into a trial counsel role, which means I'll be prosecuting criminal cases.

By the way, I get promoted to Captain next week, so I won't have to hear everybody call me "LT" anymore or see them smirk when they salute me. Plus, I'll get paid more, so that'll be neat.
I hope that answered people's questions, but if it didn't, tell me what you want to know and I'll try to provide an adequate answer.

By the way, the picture is meant to show how strenuous Army life can be :)