Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Springing
Spring is in the air and we have started to explore the wild places in our area once again!
I love watching the boys run along wooded paths, searching for bugs, or worms, or other creeping things.
Even more amazingly, Grant has become quite the little birder. While other nearly two year olds are just "watching the birdies", Grant is shouting CARD-NAL, and O-WUL (the great horned owl was actually his first bird of interest -- which caused him to scream and cry like his toes were being snipped off), and "PECKER" (for woodpecker) and CHIC-DEE. He studies the bird identification book like he's gotta be ready for some quiz on the day of his kindergarten screening. My favorite is when he shouts out "PEACOCK" when he hears a new bird. I'm trying to get him to guess more along the lines of the most likely suspect (sparrow).
I love watching the boys run along wooded paths, searching for bugs, or worms, or other creeping things.
Even more amazingly, Grant has become quite the little birder. While other nearly two year olds are just "watching the birdies", Grant is shouting CARD-NAL, and O-WUL (the great horned owl was actually his first bird of interest -- which caused him to scream and cry like his toes were being snipped off), and "PECKER" (for woodpecker) and CHIC-DEE. He studies the bird identification book like he's gotta be ready for some quiz on the day of his kindergarten screening. My favorite is when he shouts out "PEACOCK" when he hears a new bird. I'm trying to get him to guess more along the lines of the most likely suspect (sparrow).
Monday, March 26, 2012
Happy spring!
We visited the farm to see the spring arrivals!
I have a feeling if we lived on a farm we'd already have stitches as Grant was fearless. Climbing fences and reaching his hand in to touch any animal (including chickens who had a sign about how they peck!).
I have a feeling if we lived on a farm we'd already have stitches as Grant was fearless. Climbing fences and reaching his hand in to touch any animal (including chickens who had a sign about how they peck!).
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Monday, February 06, 2012
Newton
Dog days.
We've been spending 2012 getting to know our new pooch. He came from a shelter organization and we knew that he would need some extra attention. He is a great dog with the kids, he's about 5 years old, so we haven't had to do any house training, and he's very sweet. However, once the leash is on him, he is like Jekyl and Hyde and has some very unruly doggy manners. Newton pulls a lot on the leash, barks like crazy at other dogs, people, bikers, or flags blowing in the breeze. Which, as you can imagine, makes him difficult to take on walks with the kids. This additional time requirement has really squeezed our schedule. And if we don't walk him? We start seeing antics like helping himself to food on the table. The good news is he's very smart and catches on quickly. The bad news is he's very smart, and catching on quickly (like how to take advantage of children leaving food at his height, or knowing that the time to strike is when we are helping kids with coats or the bathroom).
I've been taking Newton to dog training classes on Thursday nights and he's making progress (slowly but surely). Given his behavior at the first classes, I think we're in line for most improved dog, just based on how awful he behaved at his first class!
We did get him groomed and he is looking less like a stray and more like he belongs to our family.
We've been spending 2012 getting to know our new pooch. He came from a shelter organization and we knew that he would need some extra attention. He is a great dog with the kids, he's about 5 years old, so we haven't had to do any house training, and he's very sweet. However, once the leash is on him, he is like Jekyl and Hyde and has some very unruly doggy manners. Newton pulls a lot on the leash, barks like crazy at other dogs, people, bikers, or flags blowing in the breeze. Which, as you can imagine, makes him difficult to take on walks with the kids. This additional time requirement has really squeezed our schedule. And if we don't walk him? We start seeing antics like helping himself to food on the table. The good news is he's very smart and catches on quickly. The bad news is he's very smart, and catching on quickly (like how to take advantage of children leaving food at his height, or knowing that the time to strike is when we are helping kids with coats or the bathroom).
I've been taking Newton to dog training classes on Thursday nights and he's making progress (slowly but surely). Given his behavior at the first classes, I think we're in line for most improved dog, just based on how awful he behaved at his first class!
We did get him groomed and he is looking less like a stray and more like he belongs to our family.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
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!).
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
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!
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!
Friday, January 06, 2012
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.
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| Grant pretends to make a special delivery as I wrapped gifts to Henry's teachers |
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.
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
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