"MODDY"

This fall we have been trying to be more active with our kids. Now that Linden is a little bit older and understands more of what is going on around her we have been trying to take advantage of her interest and show her different things. A couple of weeks ago the mayor kicked off the "Heart and Sole" program here in town with a 5K walk. The idea behind the program is to get people to be more active. Each of the participants got a pedometer (including the kids) and we are to keep track of our daily steps for two months. It sounded like fun so we took the kids and started our step counts. Linden and Calvin didn't really rack up too many (see the photo). 

Calvin rode in the stroller the whole time and after about half a mile Travis decided he wanted to jog. I couldn't jog with Linden on my shoulders so she ended up in the stroller as well. I was impressed that Travis was able to push the double stroller (not a baby jogger, but one of those with the little wheels and no foot room) at a pretty good jog for about two miles. I took over for the end and walked while Linden rode on Travis's shoulders. It was fun to see the families there participating. Afterwards they had an obstacle course for the kids to do. Calvin was a little too small to understand the concept, but he knew what to do with the balls. The only problem is he's still not the sturdiest walker and ended up face planting in the concrete parking lot. The scrape looked a lot worse than it actually was but he wore a pretty good mark for about a week.

Last weekend a local church did a fund raiser 5K run called the "Monster Dash". Since I was training for a half-marathon that was CANCELLED!!!!!!! I decided to do the 5K instead. Kendall did it last year and dressed up in full candy corn costume. She said there were other people that had put on some crazy hats and other fun things, but no real costumes. I decided not to go all out, but I put on my bear ears and painted my face. It turns out that I was the only one who dressed up in costume anyway, but I was okay with that. The kids were there to watch me and it was obviously easy for me to be spotted. I even got several compliments on my ears. It was a fun run and I felt really good about my race. It is disappointing that I won't be able to do the half-marathon, but there are always others in the spring.

We have a super star in our house!  Travis was interviewed for a news piece one of the local news stations was doing on healthcare in these hard economic times.  It was a good experience for him and was especially beneficial because he is applying for the executive director's position.  Take a look and wish him luck on his application!

When you think of OU/Texas, what do you think of?  Many think of great football, fall weather, Texas State Fair, yummy football food, etc.  In our family it is a little different.  Yes, we are football fans and enjoy a healthy rivalry between OU and Texas, but our weekend generally revolves around a different activity...making applesauce.  Who makes their own applesauce in todays world of Musselmans and individual serving cups from the shelf?  We do.  And it is SO much better than anything you get at the store.  It may be because of all the blood, sweat and tears (blood from cutting the apples a little too vigorously, sweat from all the cooking, and tears because it takes from sun-up until WAY after the sun goes down).  It is a ton of work not to mention the pain we go through just getting to Grandma and Grandpa's with the two kids.  Let me tell you, seven hours is a long time for anyone to be in a car.  When Linden and Calvin are added in to the mix seven minutes is about enough to want to turn around and go back home. 

 

    

   

Linden was in her element.  We spent a month at Grandma and Grandpa's earlier in the summer and Linden was so happy to be back.  She played with all of the toys, scratched Yukon's belly (their old husky), fed the cows and fish, and just got dirty.  It was fun to see her enjoy being outdoors and not even think about the Twelve Dancing Princesses or Dora.  She even got to see Travis go down the zip line and was adventurous enough to climb the jump-off tower.     

As much as I hate going on road trips with the kids, they really aren't bad travelers.  Calvin doesn't sleep very well outside of his bed, so that makes it kind of hard to keep him entertained the whole time.  I've discovered that binkies and crackers will only last a couple of hours.  We took a pit stop on the way home and Calvin discovered some really big balls he wanted to play with.  Too bad they were stuck to the ground.

   

The past year has come and gone so quickly (and the past week, that's why this post is a couple of weeks late).  It's hard to believe that just a year ago Calvin was a helpless yet opinionated new born and we were trying to adjust to having a second child.  His year has been full of milestones.  In addition to all the normal ones like sitting up, rolling over, getting teeth, he has shown a remarkable ability to spot balls.  Just last week we went to the library which was decorated for the local Hispanic block party.  They had crep paper balls hanging all over from the ceiling and Calvin wanted one SO BAD.  He got very angry that he couldn't touch them, much less take them down and throw them.  His favorite game is taking all the balls he can find and throwing them in the kitchen.  He watches them bounce off the cupboards and then chases them under the table.

Here's Calvin doing one of his favorite activities, reading.

Lately I have been trying to branch out in our daily activities.  I can stand only so many Dora the Explorer episodes and dancing consists of me spinning Linden around in circles while Calvin tries to climb my legs.  We try to spend a few hours outside each day but for some reason the sand just doesn't want to stay in the sand box.  I find it on the patio, in neat little piles in the grass, and tracked all over the kitchen floor.  Yes, I know, they are kids.  Oh well, now I know why my mom was frequently frustrated about the condition of the house.  Because of my inability to deal with dirt I decided it was time to break out the art supplies.  Linden's new favorite thing is to play with the Play Dough.  I'm trying to use it as an opportunity for learning different colors, but she's just too interested in squishing the animals she just cut out.   It will come in time.  Calvin's interest in the Play Dough is simply to taste whatever he can get his hands on.   It's fun to watch their minds work in different ways.  Linden's imagination is on fire, making all the animals talk to their "friends" and telling me all kinds of stories about what is happening.  Calvin is just looking for a good snack.

Calvin's idea of art is a little bit different than Linden's.  His is all accidental.  Yesterday he got into the refrigerator and pulled out the honey dijon and threw it on the floor.  It shattered and there was a nice big blob of mustard in the middle of the floor.  Then, in the afternoon, he found the box of Diet Coke and began pulling cans out and watching the roll across the floor.  After pulling all of them out and tossing them across the kitchen one of them developed a hole and sprayed all over the floor.  It was quite a mess but he seemed to enjoy watching the can spray everywhere.

Linden- Her day begins with a cup of juice and whatever she sees upon opening the fridge.  Sometimes it's yogurt, sometimes it's cheese.  She's even been known to request pickles for breakfast.  Then it's off to the gym to play while mom works out.  Lunchtime is coupled with a movie (after reading three books first, of course) while mom is busy with little brother.  Nap time is always a big question mark for her.  She is notorious for laying down for a few minutes and then getting up and getting in to trouble.  She turns on the light and gets into whatever toys or books she can get her hands on.  She has even been known to change her clothes several times just to keep from napping.  We have tried everything from putting a lock on the door to taking the light bulbs out of her light with none of that really working.  Finally I resorted to putting up the pack-and-play in the middle of the room where she can't reach anything.  
Now at least she is contained in an area that, if she decided she was tired, she could sleep easily.  Some might say she is growing out of naps.  I find her behavior suggests otherwise.  Normally she is a very bright and energetic child.  Without naps she cries all the time and teases incessantly.

Calvin- He starts the day dancing in his crib and singing to himself until mom can make it into his room to get him.  He spends the next twenty minutes or so zooming all over the house inspecting toys that were forgotten the night before.  He then eats about two bites of  cereal before demanding "cracker".  That is his first real word (besides mom and dad) and that is the only thing he will eat.  I have been limiting his intake of crackers to cheerios in the morning and crackers at snack time.  Lunch and dinner are real food or nothing.  I've noticed he doesn't fight his food quite as much, but he is still VERY picky.  To fill up the morning we head to the  gym where he has lots of the workers smitten.  I'd like to think he's their favorite baby.  Then it's back home for a little lunch and then a nap.  He has recently decided only one nap a day is all he needs.  I fought it for a while but then he started sleeping 2 1/2 hours for his afternoon naps and I decided I was okay with that.  After nap time we get the toys out and dance to some music or go for a walk.  
Calvin has also figured out how to open up the toilet lids so it's always a good idea to be nearby when he heads in the direction of the bathroom. Besides splashing in the toilet water he also enjoys unrolling the toilet paper rolls. When daddy gets home it's always a fun moment because  everyone immediately heads for the door, Calvin especially.  

  

This last Saturday we spent the day having fun.  Travis and I took the kids to the local County Fair where Linden discovered the excitement of flashing lights and fun rides.  She wanted to do EVERYTHING we saw but was satisfied with riding the carousel and kiddy  boats.  Calvin was a little too small to do the rides, but we did go for a "train" ride in some water barrels pulled by a lawn mower.  He loved it.  We also walked through the petting zoo where we saw baby donkeys, bunnies, baby geese, and a litter of pigs (are they litters?)   Calvin was fascinated by the giant mother.  Linden got a little closer to the horses by going on a pony ride.  It was her first and she loved it.   We may have another horse girl on our hands! All and all it was a great afternoon for everyone.