A Merry Christmas!

I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Luke 2:10

Part 2: Christmas in Iowa. It's been many years since everyone in the Capper klan has been together for Christmas.

From Capper Christmas 2009

We were all very fortunate to arrive safely and escape hazardous travel conditions, even with icing and freezing rain in the forecast. AND everyone remained healthy, aside from Tator (my parents' dog), who seemed to have a little stomach issue the day after.

Henry adored spending time with his big cousins and being included in some of their games and stories. There were lots of chasing games and "exploring" in the dark closets (with new flashlights in tow).

From Capper Christmas 2009

Christmas morning was filled with excitement charged by the little ones this year.

From Capper Christmas 2009

The Holiday Fun begins...

Part 1:  Nicholas visits Madison after a year (plus) long stint living in South Africa for work.

Henry has had a great time getting to know Uncle Nicholas.

From Nicholas in Madison 2009

From Nicholas in Madison 2009

Christmas Excitement

Henry's face is a little washed out in this photo, but I think you can still see how excited he is about the Christmas tree, most especially the lights. This Christmas has taken on a whole new meaning as we "see it again for the first time" through Henry's perspective.

O Christmas Tree

After barking out in 'ol front wheel drive sleigh, we made our way to Summers Christmas Tree Farm in Middleton for what is hopefully the first in a tradition of getting the Leydon Family Christmas Tree. Out with the second hand plastic tree, and in with a real Scotch pine tree. Lots of fun. Just have to remember a sled or tarp next year. Not that it was hard to pull the tree, but more importantly, something on which to drag the child. He either wants to be held or get down and - well - just stand there, since he doesn't do much walking in 16 inches of snow. He was quite warm, all bundled up (like this kid)
Us by the tree to be

I feel like Clark Griswold - the snow was just as deep in in this clip...

and snow it begins

Winter in Wisconsin has arrived...A Snow Day! Even for George!

St. Nicholas Day

Happy St. Nicholas Day!

Though we don't regularly celebrate this feast day, this year we had a good reason to give Henry a gift. I ordered Henry his very own nativity set so he could learn more about the Christmas story. And mine can (hopefully) stay safe and sound.

snow time like the present

Our chimney repair is complete! Just in time for Santa to use it for easy access to the Christmas tree. It was a long week of "bang, bang, bang, on the roof" and shouts of "more mortar!" (a phrase Henry quickly picked up and repeats daily). However, we feel much better about approaching the impending winter weather knowing the chimney will not be causing further leaks in the roof. And, as you can see, we got a nice dusting of snow the other night.

That means Henry has been quite curious about this new stuff. When we saw Papa pull the car in the garage, he pointed to the snow on top of the car and said "sand" -- ha ha -- we convinced him it was much colder than it looked!

We bundled Henry in his new winter gear (more for the icy temps than the amount of precipitation) and let him explore. It was funny to see him toddle around like a giant blue marshmallow, walking the typical skier's limp in his new boots. But, he loved it. And, of course, is thrilled with the idea of letting dumper haul loads of snow.

tis the season

For some post-thanksgiving activities, we enjoyed visiting my hometown downtown for a few early Christmas events. Here we're taking a ride on a horse drawn wagon. Henry was brave, and patted the team, "Marge & Molly," after our trip around the block.

The main event for the evening was the parade. Each participant had lights and music. Henry's favorites were, of course, the firetrucks, the utility trucks, and the motorcycles. For the adults, I believe the parade pick would have been the singing Elvis who was doing a fabulous impersonation, complete with an original music lip sync. A kid is a magnet for candy, so we raked in a lot of loot.  The photo is a "special delivery" where one parade goer said "hold out your hands" to Henry, and promptly filled them with candy. I don't think he knew what hit him until much later, when he got to sample the goods!

Calling All Village People!

Assistance requested immediately to care for small boy. Quite demanding, rather messy, acutely independent child seeking someone with more patience to provide extremely basic services: meals, baths, and dressing. It doesn't seem difficult. At first.


I've been a fool. With Henry's advanced vocabulary, we've avoided many tantrums based on misunderstandings. He is quite good at telling us what he wants. Terrible two's (or even terrible "not quite twos")? Nah. Life had been good. For a while. We followed Mommy's schedule. We'd go to the grocery store, library, visit friends, take walks, and share meals and nap times with little to no resistance. Times have changed. There are more negotiations, additional creative tactics, even bartering required for simple tasks. 


Toddler tactics:
1. The word "no" is your best friend. Use it always.
2. Don't fall for distractions.
3. During requests, use the word "please." Then "please, Mommy." They are suckers for good manners. And calling them by name will tug at their heart strings.
4. Use the most annoying sound in the world. The whining "mm. mm. mm."
5. Ask over and over and over again. Wear them down. Be sure you try each parent individually if one rejects your request. If that doesn't work, wake them up in the middle of the night. Then continue in your efforts to wear them down.
6. Keep pushing boundaries. You never know when they'll cave.
7. With your improved long term memory, hold them to their promises. For example, constantly remind them that they said you could play with your dump truck after lunch.


So, they say it takes a village to raise a child. Please send reinforcements. Tag team needed ASAP!

"Marriage Tips" or general Words of Wisdom

I suppose I'm a blogger. I mean, I have my own blog address and everything. I may not be the best at prose, story-telling, or other creative writing techniques, but I've enjoyed keeping a record of our ordinary or not so ordinary life events. From time to time, I also like to jump around to other blogs. It's funny that we have many ways these days to meet someone virtually. And, sometimes, it's nice just to know there are others out there. Doing what I do. And possibly explaining it with better grammar or writing skills.

So I started the morning reading her Thanksgiving greeting: "Happy Thanksgiving everyone. This year, I've got extra thoughts and prayers for all of those who will be missing loved ones around the table."

I do this by using Google Reader (a handy tool to check for blog updates without skipping from web address to web address to see if there is something new to read). One of my favorite updates is the daily "Marriage Tip" I receive.  This offers me a 5 minute reminder to think about my relationship, or just soak in some general words of wisdom for reflection.

Today's message really struck me, so I wanted to share:

November 25

Whether or not you travel over Thanksgiving, remember those who can’t afford a plane ticket or gas, or worse, don’t have a loved one with whom to share the day. Our bounty is a gift--give some of it away.

Do you ever feel like the universe is sending you a message? And that, at times, it has to be so obviously clearly stated, that you just can't miss it? Uh huh.

The "thankful for" section will be replaced by the "thinking of" section:

• I am thinking of Grandma, and remembering last year's Thanksgiving with fondness. Missing her lots.
• We are thinking of all our friends, family, and extended family (Claire, "out east Leydons" especially those even farther east (like Nicholas in South Africa), Herricks, Grand Rapids Sanfords, Heyings et al in Iowa and beyond) and sending our love and thoughts.
• George and I have a special place in our hearts for the homeless populations we served during our JVC year. May the holidays not be the only time they experience full bellies and friendly smiles.

Something tells me it's all happenin' at the ZOO

Any Simon and Garfunkel fans will recognize the title to this post. It pops in my head every time I think about going to the zoo.

Yesterday, we took an impromptu family trip to the Henry Vilas Zoo here in Madison. It was George's first time to this free zoo, and it was one of the best.  The weather was beautiful, but given that it is, in fact, November, it was not at all crowded. It seemed the animals were ALL aware of the impending winter weather and were also out to enjoy the warm sunshine.  We saw lions, and tigers, and bears -- oh my! (no kidding!). Giraffes, orangutans, seals, river otters, and much more.

Still mindfully aware of our blessings, we are thankful:

1. for family time, even in the midst of an OB rotation
2. for the friends we've made in our new Madison community. We enjoyed a fabulous potluck "friendsgiving" on Saturday.
3. for Skype, a video chatting program that allows us to keep in touch with long-distance friends and family (good to see you, Koch family!)
   

Only 6 weeks until Christmas

Typically, I try to hold off on all things Christmas until after Thanksgiving. This year, however, I've been ramping up earlier because I can see 1. how much fun it's going to be with Henry's increased ability to understand and 2. how much work we have to do on this understanding. And besides, the Madison radio station that plays Christmas music 24/7 has already started. I just love Christmas music, so now I'm in the mood!

Sometimes as a parent, it really hits me how much of a "teacher" role you have to play. I mean everything from typical Christmas characters like Santa and reindeer to simple ideas about winter (such as snow and snowmen! or sledding!) has to be explained. Let's face it, last year he got to hold a piece of snow once. In March, I think. It didn't make that much of an impression (as far as I know...). Given the fact that he couldn't even walk, he was still too young to be out playing in snow, or recall the snow plows working on our street. Last but not least, there is the most important Christmas story to teach, the birth of Jesus. I think I've already confused Henry in this department because he heard me singing along to the song "Santa Baby" on the radio. I heard him in the store later commenting about baby Santa when we saw some Christmas tree displays.

Those who live in harsher climates understand my next effort. To avoid hanging lights outdoors in the freezing cold, I got a couple of strands for our bushes to hang now, and plug in later. We tested them indoors to be sure they worked. Henry, of course, went crazy. In hindsight, using only a "oh no, what have I done?" mentality, this may have been jumping the gun a little. Now he gets up every morning asking for the lights. Then we have to convince him they're on the bushes, and can be seen at nighttime (but not from our windows...hmmm). Oops! I hope our neighbors put some up soon, so we can see Christmas lights without going out in the dark and cold.  On the plus side, it did help him in his effort to learn his colors. 


Also note the jammies. It's early, but we only have a few pair of fleecy ones to choose from. Might as well use them as long as we can!


I am thankful that:
- during my last shopping trip to Shopko everything I purchased was on sale. $5 winter mittens for Henry that I couldn't find at JC Penneys - check!
- George got the snowblower all set for our first snowfall. A note to Mother Nature: just because we're ready, doesn't mean there has to be any action on your part.
- Henry is a well behaved boy at restaurants. The interview season for residency applicants has begun. This year we can take advantage of the "night before" applicant dinners and enjoy a few meals out on the town!

A Front Row Seat

We've had a lot going on in our neighborhood. Along with regular trash and recycling pick up, which is extremely fascinating - "gobble gobble garbage trucks!" - we've had seasonal leaf pick up and branches wood chipped, but we've also had gas line replacement. This means big equipment and trucks have been readily available for our entertainment. And generally, this doesn't even involve dressing up to go outside. It makes the inconvenience of extra noise and road blocks much more tolerable!

Diggers, dump trucks, mini loaders, trucks and trailers, oh my! It is Henry's dream come true!

Thankfulness for:
- a handyman husband (remember the TV antennae? It works great!) 
- warmish days to go without heat while our gas was off
- our public works system! Bye-bye leaves and branches!

I love it when a plan comes together

Frankenstein home project.
We were using rabbit ears for our TV reception. We don't have cable or anything. It's been terrible. Horrendous, actually. Constantly adjusting the 'ears'.
So, with most things, I google it so see what there is to do. The amount of information is crazy. So, instead of buying an outdoor antenna (50-70 bucks) and hooking it up where the previous owner's dish was on the roof, I built one out of coat hangers and scrap wood - junk in our garage. Thanks youtube. Screwed it onto the old dish. At least the grey eyesore was good for something.

And how does it work? You'd swear we had cable tv with how clear it comes in.

Best $3 we ever spent.

I'm thankful for
* sunny warm weekends for home projects
* the sharing of information on the interwebs
* extra sleep

Father Before Fodder

November tends to draw me a little more inward. The month starts with All Saints Day and All Souls Day and ends with Thanksgiving and a kick off of the Advent season (a personal favorite). Additionally, after daylight savings time, it gets dark early, weather is chilly, so evenings are spent indoors. A shift from playtime with Henry to cuddling and reading books together occurs. I've been cooking again. Soups, breads, fresh applesauce, spiced cider and things that warm the body (and soul).

Here are some of the more inner thoughts that have been spinning around my head:

• Somehow George and I fell out of the habit of praying before meals. Although I grew up with a standard recited Catholic meal blessing, I've always enjoyed alternative methods (like songs, poems, thankfulness lists, or ad lib prayers). Truth be told, the best way to be reminded of this important moment in time, is to teach a toddler. Henry doesn't forget. For a while, before meals, he was running to the table with his hand on his forehead shouting "Father" (which sounds like fodder) so that we could start the prayer before we ate. In the early days, we prayed a lot. We would pray if something new came to the table, or before second helpings, or before dessert. And sometimes, at random times (at the table or not) he shouts, "bless us, Oh Lord." It makes me laugh and catches me in the throat at the same time. He is so sweet and to hear his tiny voice form the words reminds me that we are, truly, very blessed. On a lighter note, he almost became Tiny Tim for Halloween because it reminded me of the line from a Christmas Carol "God bless us, everyone!"

• This year I thought about my grandma a lot on All Souls Day. We had the blessing of her presence at last year's Thanksgiving, and she was doing so well. It's hard to believe that one year later she is no longer with us. It hits me hardest when I'm cooking, gardening, or sewing. All of these were her specialty, as the matriarch of the family. While studying in Mexico during my undergrad years, we learned more about El Dia de Los Muertos (or Day of the Dead) and it always seemed to me like a great way to set aside special time in our lives for remembering our loved ones.

Each November blog post will wrap up with a "thankful for" list:

*sunny (and slightly warmer) days

*CSA veggies that store a long time (leeks, carrots, squash, etc.)

*that Henry doesn't know how to climb out of his crib!

Trick or Treat!

Henry was the cutest little lion on the block tonight! Complete with "rawrs," which was the only thing he said...so much for the classic "trick or treat" phrase. I loved his costume, which was SO easy and warm. It was funny to watch him in the group with a big fluffy head and, my favorite part, the tail, swinging behind him. And I couldn't believe he even let me draw some whiskers on him -- maybe he knew there was something special about tonight.

We enjoyed a chilly, but clear, night under a nearly full moon with our neighbors leading the way door to door for goodies. George and I were thankful there were some 3 year olds to show Henry the ropes on his first beggar's night. It didn't take him long to learn how to grab plenty of candy for his own personal

stash.

Henry also loved checking out all the jack o'lanterns in our

neighborhood. He was not a fan of carving our own. He seemed

pretty skeptical of the gooey insides and even let out the

perfect Halloween scream when Mommy reached her hand inside

the pumpkin. After the massacre was over, he was fascinated with the lid, eyes, and mouth which created a new character for our pumpkin. When we showed it to him aglow by candlelight he was super excited and grinned ear to ear.

We tried really hard for a nice Halloween photo of Henry in costume with the great jack o'lantern. We were photo bombed, however, by a neighborhood cat. It was all we could think about -- the "killy." I was just thankful it wasn't a black cat that crossed our path tonight!

Happy Halloween!!

Tractors, tractors big and small

...old or new, I love 'em all!

Someone please save me from the tractor obsession!

We've spent the last several weeks watching a John Deere promotional dvd that came with a toy, given as a gift, multiple times per day. This dvd is jam packed with corny songs about John Deere, too! (Mindy - we'll be thinking of you once your little one arrives and finding similar ways to torture you and Adam!) Lets be clear about Henry's amount of TV time: not much is spent watching anything on TV. We are far too busy being outside, playing with friends, reading books, and checking out our toys to sit still for any length of time. We've attempted Sesame Street on occasion, but he's still not very interested in watching more than a few minutes. So this 15-20 minute video that keeps him motionless with his gaze transfixed upon the screen was sort of a shock to us.

For anyone who hasn't met George, he is a big fan of trucks and cars. Like father, like son, I suppose. Henry has been developing as a fan of trucks, cars, trains, tractors, planes, boats, etc. Despite my best efforts to introduce a few cross-gender toys (such as a baby doll) he continues to gravitate toward these items. Oh, he plays with the dolly. Dolly rides in the dump truck. Not exactly what I had in mind, but you can't say I haven't tried! I would also like to state, for the record, that my ability to imitate engine sounds has improved greatly within the last year.

Back to the tractors story...I may be a glutton for punishment

I was in JoAnn Fabric and stumbled across some very nice John Deere fabric in the remnants section. So I made a bib for Henry. It's now the only bib he wants to wear when eating. I guess I will be making another bib!

Many Faces

The silly phase is here in full force. George and I have been having fun practicing facial expressions with Henry for quite some time.

This is not a recent trend, however. On long car trips he's kept himself occupied with a traveling mirror, making funny faces.

Henry is quite a character and once he's comfortable with his audience, he cranks up his performance.

As you can see in the photos, he frowns, smiles (note the cheesy grin), and acts surprised. "'Prise!" he shouts with eyebrows up

and mouth open wide.

Fun at the farm

We had a lot of fun today at the Schuster farm, running through the corn maze, seeing the animals, going on a tractor hay ride and enjoying fresh kettle corn and such.

More photos of our day

Leaves

Outside raking today. He plops down in the pile. "Push. Leaves. More." He loved getting buried in there.

H at the Park

This was back on September 7th when we were in Richland Center. From the camera phone.

When I dip you dip we dip

Paahhnkin

HAPPY AUTUMN!

Child Labor

It's that time of year again, time for yard clean up. It is relatively easy in Madison, as city crews come to scoop up leaves and branches once you place them curbside. Unfortunately, the schedule they provide to home-owners seems to be more of a rough guideline rather than a reliable calendar indicating which day, specifically, they will be in your neighborhood.

One morning this week, I heard the wood chipper in our area. In a quick, last ditch effort to get a few stacked up before they passed our house, Henry and I threw on some warm clothes right after breakfast and went outside. It was an attempt in vain, but they'll be back again.

Henry loved the task at hand. He enthusiastically grabbed branches and placed them on the pile. Then he'd turn around and shout "more, more branches" and "more sticks." I can easily see why child labor was employed back in the day, they are so WILLING! And for this job, built low to the ground, where the sticks happen to be! I was thrilled to have such a good helper for the job.

Henry mastering even the tricky bigger and forked branches.

No stick is too small -- to the pile!

This is the hard part...careful placement of the load.

Home Sweet Home

What a relief to be home again. No more living out of suitcases. Let's hear it for sleeping in our own beds, sitting on our own furniture, and cooking in a well-stocked kitchen! Not to mention being near our Madison friends again! We are settling into our "Home Sweet Home" once again, reminiscing about one year ago, when we closed on our house, were handed the keys, and could start building our home!

Our time in Richland Center was a challenge near the end. Being transplanted into a small town community, where we didn't know anyone, for 6 weeks was a little difficult. Henry and I spent our days going to the park where they had a slide the perfect size for Henry to master on his own. We also enjoyed a few old-timey pieces of equipment, like merry-go-rounds, teeter-totters, and metal slides. We visited the library and occasionally window shopped downtown. Thank goodness we had beautiful weather so we could get out of the apartment and explore!

That's right, dumper goes EVERYWHERE with us.

Our "neighbors" had rabbits.

Henry was enthralled with them and visited every day.

After the annual resident retreat, we visited Governor Dodge State Park for a quick swim. It was a gorgeous park on a gorgeous September day. We'll be back next year, I'm sure!

Word list

Henry's word list grows exponentially each day. He is like a parrot and repeats the end of your sentence constantly. (Mommy is now trying to be very disciplined about her choice of language!)

Here are the ones that George and I are most impressed with:

- banana (it's so clear, no nanas served here!)

- zucchini (sometimes shortened to "kini" but it's a favorite that bears repeating, emphasis on ZU)

- window

- umbrella (we keep practicing -- some syllables get rolled around a few too many times "elella")

- egg (really, complete with an ending "g" already?)

- pizza

- acorn

18 Months

18 Months. I like the sound of that.

It seems like such a good age to be. It's "I'm old enough to grab the world by the tail and start making sense of it," but not so old as to be truly responsible for anything, or have great expectations for behavior. For example, completing a request is still simply a bonus, and sometimes a complete surprise. "George, get this, I asked Henry to go get a new diaper so I could change him, and HE DID!"

Henry sometimes exudes a strange confidence for his tender age.

At his doctor's appointment, he marched down the hallway after the nurse called his name. Swinging his arms as he walked, he looked like he'd done this a thousand times and was ready for anything. His expression didn't change to a heart wrenching sad face until the door swung closed behind him in the exam room. I believe that's when he recalled the experience of being poked and prodded during his prior visits.

Occasionally, when I answer questions about his milestones, I feel like the staff believes I'm overestimating Henry's ability. Like they're thinking "Yes, every parent thinks their child is the best and brightest." And naturally, Henry takes on a shyness in the new surroundings which leads him to develop jelly legs, when I've told them he's already walking. Or he remains mute when I admit that he's mastered many new words recently, casting a shadow of doubt upon his true ability. This time, however, when the doctor was trying to edge the tongue depressor into Henry's mouth he pushed it away and clearly cried out "acky!" So the doctor learned first hand, that indeed, Henry is already using his words.

Speaking of "acky" here are a few other items that deserve the title, according to Henry:

- sidewalk chalk

- sticks

- macaroni salad

- tiny particles found on the floor (he'll even take them to the trash can when coaxed!)

To my relief, some of these items are entering his mouth less frequently. After a mere 18 months of training!

Harvest

My favorite "perk" about the house right now.

Grapes, warmed by the sun, fresh from the vine. Mmm.

Smarty Pants

Look who's been paying attention!

The key to the apartment stays under the mat in the screened in porch. (I told you it was small town!) Henry likes this game of hide and seek, and was trying to put the key in the lock, with great success, actually!

These are the moments that blow your mind as a parent. What a little smarty pants. It is hard work staying a step ahead of this little guy!

PS. Don't worry, we moved the location of the key so he wouldn't lose the ONLY copy!