Snow Days!

The snow is here, and we have been diving in, hauling it, sledding on it, and loving it. Busy, busy, busy boys. They would stay out for hours and hours if their poor little fingers and toes could stand that much icy action (though they do try to convince me otherwise!).

2011

2011. What a year.
2011 was a year of doing.
Here in the trenches of parenting small children, we don't often have a lot of time to reflect, aspire, or take stock of "Who We Are" and "Where We're Going."  During these days when a lost mitten can make or break your day (seriously, it doesn't sound like much, but it can be to a 3 year old, or Momma, for that matter). More than likely, we reinvent ourselves on the fly.  A plan of going to the gym is quickly changed to a walk around the block with the dog after a kid has begun vomiting overnight.

So, this was how our 2011 review took place.
In the kitchen, both of us are trying to occupy kids, get a meal on the table, scrape a few toys from underfoot, unload a clean dishwasher, and offer the dog a pat on the head. "What a year, huh?" I quip after a quick glance at George. Amid the chaos we count a few major blessings.

1. George is a board certified family physician. It has been an arduous process and we've had some time to catch our breath and envision just what, exactly, life should look like now that George has his "real job" (OB practice and all).

2. I have a job.  Last year I believe I wrote about needing some "me time" and the job is just enough to exercise other parts of my brain for a few hours each week. It says something about your home life when I often feel like going to work for a few hours feels more like vacation! Mostly, I'm thankful my job only takes place at work. I don't ever have to do much outside of the time I spend at clinic. It's really the perfect set up. Having some set hours each week and then per diem opportunities in addition gives me the flexibility to take more hours, or leave them.

3. We have a babysitter. Or two. In the rotation. We've had good ones come and go, but in general, this is how I've been able to work, and we've been able to have date night. Our modest goal of one date night per month has been a welcomed chance to reconnect, take a breath, and feel normal. Like the quote from As Good As It Gets, "we're going out, like people do."

3a. Babysitters also allowed me to complete that triathlon last summer.

4. The dog. A dog has always been part of the big picture of "what life looks like in the Leydon residence" and taking the plunge has had some challenges and some perks.  The challenge is that Newton is a Jekyll and Hyde kind of dog. He takes all sorts of loving abuse from the kids and doesn't move a muscle. He's a fairly mellow and sweet dog who's sole purpose in life seems to be to score a nice long pat on the head. Once he's got the leash on and is out for his walk, however, he is the biggest knucklehead. Tantrums and antics and flailing and barking on the end of a leash. Horrible, horrible, horrible doggy manners. Thankfully, we are in obedience classes and we've been working with him. BUT, the important thing is that he has really given us a push to stay active through the winter. He is a dog that has to be walked (or suffer the consequences of restless antics in the house--he is so food motivated he has been known, on occasion, to help himself to bread on the counter and leftovers sitting on the table. Impeccably timed with a kid's trip to the bathroom, of course). So we're walking. In the cold. Midwinter. (and when I say "we" its more George than me. For now.)

Goals for 2012 are taking shape.
What I appreciated about 2011 was that none of the above listed points were really ever the typical New Years resolution.

May 2012 find all of you with jobs, shared childcare (aka "me time"), and/or dogs!

Christmas musts in Madison

We had a lovely season preparing for Advent. Like I said before, opening the doors on the calendar were the highlights of the day, right after breakfast. I was very proud of the kids taking turns opening the door and placing the figurine into the nativity scene.

Grant pretends to make a special delivery as I wrapped gifts to Henry's teachers

Another Leydon Christmas tradition in Madison is to make a special trip downtown and view the "holiday tree" inside the capitol. The train underneath is quite entertaining.

Grant learned how to say "capitol" (which also helps him with the word "helicopter"), but he has developed his own joke of denying us the pleasure of hearing it.  Every time we ask Grant to say capitol, he grins and says "noooo."  It successfully drives Henry crazy that Grant won't comply with this request. Amazingly, there is really no fooling him.  In the midst of a long list of "Grant say...(green, yellow, tree, dog, etc)" he will not fall for "capitol" being substituted in the middle of the list.

video

In 2012, I will once again figure out how to post videos of the kids.

Passed!

For all you who have supported me (George) during the arduous process of college->premed->medschool->residency (and finally) -> real life, I am ecstatic to say I have passed my board certification for family medicine! It is the culmination of test upon test for what I am do with the rest of my life. What a weight off my shoulders.

At this moment, it is a chance to thank everyone who has helped me achieve my goals along this "long, strange trip". ¡Muchísimas gracias!

Take 1

Attempt at Christmas photo #1.
Grant has recently entered the "very cheesy smile on command" stage.
Henry would only pose in the "silly face" option.
Gonna be a tough year for that perfectly staged holiday photo.
Candid might be the route to go.

We're still trying to check off a few holidays "musts" as we enter the homestretch of advent!

Advent and Adventures

 We are approaching our advent season with a watchful waiting. One by one we are working through our advent calendar and excitedly opening doors to reveal the nativity scene taking shape. The boys are really coming to terms with taking turns opening the door each day.

We're learning some Christmas songs (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a favorite) and stories and, of course, every potential snowflake (which have been surprisingly sparse this year) means that Santa is coming. Which, by the way, is rather motivating for modeling good behavior. If Santa delivers toys for good girls and boys, you certainly don't want to be caught on the "naughty" list. At times, a quick "Santa's watching" is all it takes to remind the boys (especially Henry) that there is more at stake with the task at hand. Four weeks is probably our limit for long term delayed gratification, but we're rolling with it for as long as it will last!

Happy St. Nicholas Day!
This year's tree hunting excursion was quite different from past years. Firstly, there was no snow to tromp through. A little more of a challenge to capture the spirit, but much easier for the task. No shaking snow to get an idea of the shape of the tree, easier walking for boys (sort of), and we knew exactly how tall the tree was, as opposed to walking above a foot of snow. However, we had a soaking rain the day before, the mud boots got good use and we were slightly nervous the station wagon wouldn't make it along the muddy driveway.

 We were successful, however, (thanks, Papa George!!) and we got a beautiful tree. The boys had a LOT of fun decorating it (and decorating it, and decorating it). I think we'll actually decorate it a little each day until Christmas because those low hanging, train and truck shaped ornaments are just too tempting to leave them hanging on the tree for good.

And in another adventure, just when we thought everything was running smoothly around here, meet Newton. Our new pooch. We picked him up Saturday in the rain and while George and I were getting him settled in, the boys took the opportunity to play outdoors for a little while. In the mud, like with trucks and splashing and all sorts of good dirty boy fun. In the 40 degree weather. BRR! When I called this off, it was warm baths for everyone.

 We are excited to welcome Newton to our home. He is from Shelter from the Storm and is very sweet. He does have a few undesirable habits. We are hoping old dogs can learn new tricks and he'll ease up on the barking and learn how to take a nice walk on a leash. He is a schnauzer mix, and is very good with the kids. Grant can be a very assertive little petter, and Newton doesn't seem to mind being poked in the eye on occasion.

Boys

I don't even know what to say about this...

We stay busy...

Grant helps himself to the bookshelf and just sits and "reads"

A common phrase heard 'round the house "WRESTLE-FIGHT!!"

Monkey see, monkey do

Just the cutest little goblin you've ever seen, right?

An Observation

On our designated snack day for Henry's preschool, parents are encouraged to stay and help out in the classroom.  Don't get me wrong, I love to do this, but I have to be in the right frame of mind (I just have to stop thinking about all the items on my "to-do" list and really settle in to just some quality time with my eldest son and his buddies).

So I stayed.
And I played.

And I noticed, as a little girl and Henry were playing grocery store, complete with cash register, that the way they were exchanging money for goods was a little odd. The over sized gold coins are a nice touch. However, I watched as Henry took each coin when we paid for our bananas, box of nilla wafers, and plastic spaghetti with sauce and scanned the coin across the cash register as if it were, that's right, a credit card.

I had a good chuckle to myself and the teacher and we contemplated that, indeed, these children don't see actual currency at work much anymore. The teacher and I related that in our day, we couldn't figure out why our moms would say they didn't have enough money to pay for all those groceries. After all, the checkbook was full of checks!