Live and Learn at the Air Show

One of the perks of living where we live is that we are RIGHT next to Davis Monthan Air Force Base, which means....you get to see cool jets and planes and helicopters flying overhead ALL the TIME! (And your husband will try to teach you what each one is, and you'll remember 40% of what he tells you.)

But then, every few years they host an air show, which, if you like planes, jets and helicopters (and the heat), then you'd LOVE! So we try to make a point of going whenever it is "the year." This year, it happened to fall the day after the babies' first birthday party, so my friend Jen and her husband Nathan were at our house and decided to join us!

In years past, going to the air show has been such an easy decision and an easy plan to execute. Two adults involved. That's easy. Bringing three babies and a pregnant girl takes a bit more planning....and we may have made a few mistakes, hence the title of this post. You live and learn right? So please, peruse our pictures and I'll point out all our shortcomings and stupidities. It'll be fun.

Mistake Number 1: Even though you may have thought I was bringing it, don't assume that I am bringing the big bottle of sunscreen with me. Even if I said I was going to. Have you seen my diaper bag/purse? Aint much else fitting in it! And have you seen my family? So many other things I was thinking about...Luckily, I always carry trial sized baby sunscreens in my purse, so there we all were smearing little dabs of sunscreen. This was one time in my life that I was willing to forego being completely lathered myself, so that I could be sure each of the babies were covered in it from ear tips to toes. I was SO afraid of them getting burnt.

(Jen and Hunter) see those little kneecaps? I was seriously dousing her in sunscreen!

Mistake Number 2: When you're taking your 3 babies to a place where shade almost doesn't exist and the heat is at it's best, take care to ENSURE that when you put the stroller in the car, that both of the shades go with it. In this case...that did not so much happen. So we had the built in back shade, but the front one was resting comfortably in our garage. (I owned the sunscreen screw up, Brian owned this one.) So he and Nathan went into survival mode and had the presence of mind to take the shade off the carseat and try to somehow rig it to fit the stroller. It took a few tries, but I'll be honest, once he figured it out, it worked like a charm!

My boys.

In case I was the one taking pictures all day, I wanted to be sure everyone would remember that I was also present for this occasion!

Brian and his boys and Nathan in the background!

Jen (and baby Ava) and Nathan

Mistake Number 3: When you are putting on sunscreen, do not touch the lens of your camera. All of your pictures will come out blurry. Duh. So don't go adjusting your eyes, it's not you. There is a selection of pictures here that rock with blurriness! My bad...

This would've been a cool picture...of my family in front of the DPS helicopter

Colton and DPS Paramedic Jeff Lampard

Mistake Number 4: Don't take your kids to the air show at their nap time. They'll miss the show. Poor sleepy Hunter girl...we were barely through the gates and she was asleep!

Having lunch at a concrete picnic

At this point, we're pretty much just killing time until the Thunderbirds Show

My babies under the wing of a jet

Colton and Me

The Mikkelson/Kelley Clan! As sure as the sun will shine and the heat will be hot, you can bet this group will be at the Air Show too! We see them every year!

Exploring the concrete. In her pretty dress. Awesome.

Mistake Number 5: When you want to bring your babies to an air show. Don't. It's loud and scary and really loud and really scary. The entire Thunderbird Show, one of the four of us was holding close a VERY scared Ethan or Hunter, plugging ears so they wouldn't freak out every time a jet flew over. Poor, poor babies. I feel terrible.

Nathan gazing at the Thunderbirds

This is me trying to distract Ethan from the fact that the ground is vibrating and his ears are booming...didn't work.

And then there was Colton. The kid takes after his father. He SLEPT through almost all of the Thunderbird's show. (See them in the air? See Colton in the stroller? Go figure.)

This is a consolation party. Crying, shaking babies being held by big people.

Colton actually enjoyed the show. Especially because we served Puffs during it...

Ethan however. wanted no part of it.

She was shaking and crying so badly that I decided to just hold her as we walked the LONG way out to the parking lot. Before long, she was SOUND asleep!

Going home...look at those tired faces.

As a special treat we saw these 3 guys wearing THUNDERBIRDS uniforms at the Olive Garden the next day. They were kind enough to take photos with the babies. They're not pilots but are somehow part of the crew.

And that's all. Did you live and learn?