Someone please call this little girl. ;-)
489: No Coincidence, No Story!
3 days ago
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Meet Jack
With apologies for the poor video quality (I grabbed the camera as soon as Gus started talking, paying no attention to light), here is Gus telling everyone all about his imaginary friend/cousin/brother Jack.
Jack is nine (today at least), built his own brick house in the spooky woods, likes broccoli (go figure), has a house full of cats and dogs, and is his cousin but not Owen's cousin.
I can't wait to meet this kid.
Jack is nine (today at least), built his own brick house in the spooky woods, likes broccoli (go figure), has a house full of cats and dogs, and is his cousin but not Owen's cousin.
I can't wait to meet this kid.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day
Happy Valentine's Day from our crew to yours. Here's hoping that you like your kisses better than Tess liked hers.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Daddy's Little Girl
Everything around our house is "Hi Da-da." It took a little enticing for the camera, but Tess shows the easiest way to wrap a smitten father around every one of her fingers. (Forgive the snot rockets btw.)
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Little Ladybug Turns One
So last weekend our little Tess celebrated her first birthday. One year old. I can't believe it. A year ago I rushed Amy to the hospital at 5:00 in the morning, and Tess decided she wasn't waiting any longer. She was hanging out with us by 8:00.
Tess's first year was hopefully a harbinger of what her personality will be. She is one mellow, happy little girl. She can be quite the charmer as what she lacks in willingness to walk around, she makes up for in being a ham.
Amy & I look forward to the days when she can join the mix with her two older brothers, but for now we are just happy that for the most part she doesn't venture too far off.
For the birthday celebration we were joined by Nana and Aunt Kay who flew to Raleigh to spend the week with us. What a good time we had. Although we didn't get to get out and show off the area too much, we made up for it by spending quality time together and decorating the house for the birthday party.
Nana and Kay were tremendous help to Amy & me with the kids, giving us a much-appreciated break from the grind. Amy & I even got out of the house for dinner together after all the partying was over on Saturday. The boys really responded well to their grandmother and great aunt, raring to wake them up every morning and winding down at night as they read bedtime stories together. A great time!
Happy Birthday little ladybug!
Aunt Kay and Nana have a feel for decorating.
Owen has a feel for chips before the eastern North Carolina barbecue feast.
Amy spent 3 days on a ladybug cake. I have to admit -- even after all the grief I gave her for not buying a cake at the store, this one turned out incredibly cute. A job well done!
When it was time to party, we had a little girl who delayed things as she crashed for a siesta before the fiesta.
Our other incredible helpers Ms. Ann and Ms. Jeanne from Covenant came by to help us celebrate the big day.
After all the cake decorating, mantle decorating, balloons, morning nap, and build-up, Tess wouldn't eat her cupcake. She didn't like the sticky icing on her fingers and eventually cried until we took it away. Amy was a bit deflated, but the next day Tess properly dove in to the make-up cupcake head first.
"All this for me? Ok."
Cheers!
Tess's first year was hopefully a harbinger of what her personality will be. She is one mellow, happy little girl. She can be quite the charmer as what she lacks in willingness to walk around, she makes up for in being a ham.
Amy & I look forward to the days when she can join the mix with her two older brothers, but for now we are just happy that for the most part she doesn't venture too far off.
For the birthday celebration we were joined by Nana and Aunt Kay who flew to Raleigh to spend the week with us. What a good time we had. Although we didn't get to get out and show off the area too much, we made up for it by spending quality time together and decorating the house for the birthday party.
Nana and Kay were tremendous help to Amy & me with the kids, giving us a much-appreciated break from the grind. Amy & I even got out of the house for dinner together after all the partying was over on Saturday. The boys really responded well to their grandmother and great aunt, raring to wake them up every morning and winding down at night as they read bedtime stories together. A great time!
Happy Birthday little ladybug!
Aunt Kay and Nana have a feel for decorating.
Owen has a feel for chips before the eastern North Carolina barbecue feast.
Amy spent 3 days on a ladybug cake. I have to admit -- even after all the grief I gave her for not buying a cake at the store, this one turned out incredibly cute. A job well done!
When it was time to party, we had a little girl who delayed things as she crashed for a siesta before the fiesta.
Our other incredible helpers Ms. Ann and Ms. Jeanne from Covenant came by to help us celebrate the big day.
After all the cake decorating, mantle decorating, balloons, morning nap, and build-up, Tess wouldn't eat her cupcake. She didn't like the sticky icing on her fingers and eventually cried until we took it away. Amy was a bit deflated, but the next day Tess properly dove in to the make-up cupcake head first.
"All this for me? Ok."
Cheers!
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Gimme the Gas
Hat tip to Chris LeDuc for this gem. I always loved getting the gas at the dentist's office.
"Is this real life?" Too funny.
"Is this real life?" Too funny.
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Excuses
First and foremost, I have been a major slacker in terms of posting recently. My sincere apologies.
Just so you know my time on the blog has been limited lately as I have been in preliminary discussions with joining the Barack Obama administration as Health and Human Services Secretary. Unfortunately, like Tom Daschle, who withdrew his nomination for failing to pay taxes for having a limousine driver, I had to back out of negotiations as tax attorneys were questioning my monthly expenditures on Green Flash IPA and Enfamil baby formula. Apparently this was raising red flags.
Ok, ok, so maybe I only wish I was under consideration for a Cabinet appointment. But I have been in discussions with UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart about replacing coach Billy Gillispie mid-season. The second-year coach has clearly lost control over this UK team which has now lost a dreadful three games in a row to subpar SEC teams. Once again, my dirty laundry appears to have come back to haunt me as a picture in a London tabloid with my friend Michael Phelps is making Barnhart gun shy about making a historic coaching hire.
Not buying it? Well, after making it through the phantom hernia (as my pal Chris called it), I have had to ease back into running so I have been taking up walking more. While on a walk through the neighborhood the other day I was approached by a Tyrannasaurus Rex and a Triceratops who wanted to know which house was Owen's and Gus's. When I refused to tell the hungry meat eaters, they tossed me about with their friend the Brachiosaurus and wouldn't let me return home. Hence, no posts.
(For the record, Owen & Gus loved the version of that last story I told them at the dinner table. They now insist on trying to outdo me with tall tales of dinosaurs scratching at their windows & dinosaurs approaching the car at stoplights while I'm driving.)
The truth is life has been rather hectic the first month of the year, especially on the work front. IBM -- as countless other companies dealing with the economic recession -- has laid off thousands of people over the past couple of weeks. Fortunately for Amy and me, we both still have jobs at Big Blue. But many people we know and work with were impacted. So I think there has been a renewed vigor with which we approach our jobs -- both a desire to make sense of all the changes and a determination to show that we have our place in the new environment, whatever it may look like.
We do have some fun things to report.
"Jack" is now 4 years old, but he knows how to drive. Mom and Dad can't see Jack, and Owen is allowed to see him.....sometimes.
Everything out of Tess's mouth is "Da-da." When I come into the room, it's "Hi, Da-da!" When Amy picks Tess up off the floor, it's "Hi, Da-da!" As Amy says, Tess is going to need more fingers since she has me wrapped around each of hers. Indeed.
Our little girl is turning 1 this weekend. Nana and Aunt Kay flew in last night to help us celebrate which we are very excited about. Amy has a ladybug cake on the docket which the boys are excited about. And we are planning a small get together with some of Tess's many caretakers which should be a lot of fun.
So there is some goodness going on with us outside the stresses. I will do a better job of updating.
If I can just steer clear of those dinosaurs....
Cheers!
Just so you know my time on the blog has been limited lately as I have been in preliminary discussions with joining the Barack Obama administration as Health and Human Services Secretary. Unfortunately, like Tom Daschle, who withdrew his nomination for failing to pay taxes for having a limousine driver, I had to back out of negotiations as tax attorneys were questioning my monthly expenditures on Green Flash IPA and Enfamil baby formula. Apparently this was raising red flags.
Ok, ok, so maybe I only wish I was under consideration for a Cabinet appointment. But I have been in discussions with UK Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart about replacing coach Billy Gillispie mid-season. The second-year coach has clearly lost control over this UK team which has now lost a dreadful three games in a row to subpar SEC teams. Once again, my dirty laundry appears to have come back to haunt me as a picture in a London tabloid with my friend Michael Phelps is making Barnhart gun shy about making a historic coaching hire.
Not buying it? Well, after making it through the phantom hernia (as my pal Chris called it), I have had to ease back into running so I have been taking up walking more. While on a walk through the neighborhood the other day I was approached by a Tyrannasaurus Rex and a Triceratops who wanted to know which house was Owen's and Gus's. When I refused to tell the hungry meat eaters, they tossed me about with their friend the Brachiosaurus and wouldn't let me return home. Hence, no posts.
(For the record, Owen & Gus loved the version of that last story I told them at the dinner table. They now insist on trying to outdo me with tall tales of dinosaurs scratching at their windows & dinosaurs approaching the car at stoplights while I'm driving.)
The truth is life has been rather hectic the first month of the year, especially on the work front. IBM -- as countless other companies dealing with the economic recession -- has laid off thousands of people over the past couple of weeks. Fortunately for Amy and me, we both still have jobs at Big Blue. But many people we know and work with were impacted. So I think there has been a renewed vigor with which we approach our jobs -- both a desire to make sense of all the changes and a determination to show that we have our place in the new environment, whatever it may look like.
We do have some fun things to report.
"Jack" is now 4 years old, but he knows how to drive. Mom and Dad can't see Jack, and Owen is allowed to see him.....sometimes.
Everything out of Tess's mouth is "Da-da." When I come into the room, it's "Hi, Da-da!" When Amy picks Tess up off the floor, it's "Hi, Da-da!" As Amy says, Tess is going to need more fingers since she has me wrapped around each of hers. Indeed.
Our little girl is turning 1 this weekend. Nana and Aunt Kay flew in last night to help us celebrate which we are very excited about. Amy has a ladybug cake on the docket which the boys are excited about. And we are planning a small get together with some of Tess's many caretakers which should be a lot of fun.
So there is some goodness going on with us outside the stresses. I will do a better job of updating.
If I can just steer clear of those dinosaurs....
Cheers!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Jack, Wall-E & the Back
This past weekend Amy acquired another child to care for. Sensing that she was not content with chasing three kids around I pulled a muscle in my abdomen on Friday which made me virtually useless all weekend. At one the lowest point of my self-pity party I waddled off the bed onto to the floor where it took me a good 7 minutes to put my socks on.
"This shows you how much pain I'm in. Look, I can't even put my #$%@ socks on, honey."
"Um, try nine months of feeling like that."
Touche.
So despite the grumpiness and high maintenance that comes with having a husband who is confined to the couch, our crew managed to have a decent weekend. The boys and I got in two end-to-end viewings of Wall-E, which has quickly become the movie of the moment in our quarters. If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it. As Cars was brilliant on multiple levels for parents and kids alike, Wall-E has a wonderful message of taking care of the planet for adults and a sweet, lovable little robot for kids. Not to mention the robot Eve who "shoots hot fire out of her fingers, Dad!" which thrills Owen.
Owen has really taken an interest in learning the sounds of his letters. He told me that he wanted to learn to read like a friend of his at school. Once I told him that the best way to learn to read was know all his sounds, he immersed himself in "what word starts with..." and "what sound does this letter make" games. He took the occasional break from the learning games as he did when I flipped to a volcano show on Discovery Channel -- "Dad, look hot lava and fire shooting all over that truck!" But for the most part a light has gone off with that kid.
Gus has taken an interest into the imaginary world as he now routinely informs Amy and me that he in fact has another brother besides Owen. This brother is named Jack, and apparently Jack is about 10 years old -- or a baby depending on the situation. Yesterday Jack told Gus that Gus didn't need to eat his breakfast or get dressed. Well no wonder my back hurts -- we've got more kids running around here than even Amy & I know about.
Cheers!
Here's the culprit btw. I think I twisted a muscle when I was holding this little one in the driveway. I would be frustrated, but it's kind of hard to get frustrated at a child with a duck hanging out of her mouth.
"This shows you how much pain I'm in. Look, I can't even put my #$%@ socks on, honey."
"Um, try nine months of feeling like that."
Touche.
So despite the grumpiness and high maintenance that comes with having a husband who is confined to the couch, our crew managed to have a decent weekend. The boys and I got in two end-to-end viewings of Wall-E, which has quickly become the movie of the moment in our quarters. If you haven't seen the movie, I highly recommend it. As Cars was brilliant on multiple levels for parents and kids alike, Wall-E has a wonderful message of taking care of the planet for adults and a sweet, lovable little robot for kids. Not to mention the robot Eve who "shoots hot fire out of her fingers, Dad!" which thrills Owen.
Owen has really taken an interest in learning the sounds of his letters. He told me that he wanted to learn to read like a friend of his at school. Once I told him that the best way to learn to read was know all his sounds, he immersed himself in "what word starts with..." and "what sound does this letter make" games. He took the occasional break from the learning games as he did when I flipped to a volcano show on Discovery Channel -- "Dad, look hot lava and fire shooting all over that truck!" But for the most part a light has gone off with that kid.
Gus has taken an interest into the imaginary world as he now routinely informs Amy and me that he in fact has another brother besides Owen. This brother is named Jack, and apparently Jack is about 10 years old -- or a baby depending on the situation. Yesterday Jack told Gus that Gus didn't need to eat his breakfast or get dressed. Well no wonder my back hurts -- we've got more kids running around here than even Amy & I know about.
Cheers!
Here's the culprit btw. I think I twisted a muscle when I was holding this little one in the driveway. I would be frustrated, but it's kind of hard to get frustrated at a child with a duck hanging out of her mouth.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Snow Day
In the 11 years we have lived in Raleigh we can almost count on one hand the number of times we have had a measurable snowfall. So last night when the weather forecasters called for 1" to 3" of the white stuff, Amy & I didn't fully believe that the snow gods would truly deliver.
But deliver they did as 5 to 6 inches of snow fell overnight and this morning, making for the kids' first snow day experience. You would have thought it was Christmas morning with the shouts of excitement as the boys looked out the window after they woke up. It reminded us of how excited we used to get at the prospect of being out of school all day and playing outside in the snow with friends.
So Amy & I dressed and undressed and dressed and undressed the boys for several trips outside to make snow angels, chase the dog, and sled down the hill. Our neighbors next door came over and the girls shared their sleds with the boys as they all took turns sliding down the hill over and over in the backyard.
School is canceled tomorrow as well as a hard freeze will make roads treacherous tomorrow. So we'll likely wake up and do it all over again.
Ah, to be a kid again.
Cheers!
The dryer worked overtime to keep the clothes dry in between trips out in the white stuff.
Gus and his neighbor next door Sarah shared a sled ride to much laughter and shouting.
Unsure of the slippery footing of the snow at first, Owen quickly adapted and enjoyed eating flakes.
Alas, the sun goes down on snow days too. Buck up little fella, it will be around tomorrow too.
But deliver they did as 5 to 6 inches of snow fell overnight and this morning, making for the kids' first snow day experience. You would have thought it was Christmas morning with the shouts of excitement as the boys looked out the window after they woke up. It reminded us of how excited we used to get at the prospect of being out of school all day and playing outside in the snow with friends.
So Amy & I dressed and undressed and dressed and undressed the boys for several trips outside to make snow angels, chase the dog, and sled down the hill. Our neighbors next door came over and the girls shared their sleds with the boys as they all took turns sliding down the hill over and over in the backyard.
School is canceled tomorrow as well as a hard freeze will make roads treacherous tomorrow. So we'll likely wake up and do it all over again.
Ah, to be a kid again.
Cheers!
The dryer worked overtime to keep the clothes dry in between trips out in the white stuff.
Gus and his neighbor next door Sarah shared a sled ride to much laughter and shouting. 
Unsure of the slippery footing of the snow at first, Owen quickly adapted and enjoyed eating flakes.
Alas, the sun goes down on snow days too. Buck up little fella, it will be around tomorrow too. 
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Jodie Meeks
With all due respect to the UT fans among our readers, this was taken off the Kentucky message boards today:
Jodie Meeks unloaded 54 points on Tennessee in Knoxville last night. The game was quickly classified with "Save until I manually delete" status on the DVR.
What a night -- Go Big Blue!
“Rocky Top, you’ll always be
Known for Jodie Meeks
Good ole Rocky Top
54 for 23″
Jodie Meeks unloaded 54 points on Tennessee in Knoxville last night. The game was quickly classified with "Save until I manually delete" status on the DVR.
What a night -- Go Big Blue!
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Nose beads, channel locks, and sitting down to pee
So the New Year is off to a busy start for our crew after a great holiday break. The boys are back in school and come home every day with stories of their learning adventures. Yesterday one of their friends in class stuck a bead up his nose. The teachers called his mother who took him with her infant son in tow to the emergency room for 5 hours (!!!) before the boy revealed to his mom that the bead had in fact fallen out of his nose while he was still at school.
I am ever so thankful that this "teaching moment" for our kids was one that we learned through someone else's trials and tribulations rather than our own. Amy & I spent much of the dinner conversation last night pounding it into the boys' heads that only Kleenex go into our noses, not fingers and certainly not beads.
Dorothy is back taking care of Tess in the mornings so our little girl is back in her routine as well. Still not a napper, Tess is fully mobile now which led us to dig out the baby gate for the top of the stairs.
(Interesting baby gate side story -- when I was securing the gate to the posts with cable ties, the channel lock pliers slipped and I hit myself right square in the eyeball. I wallowed on the ground screaming for a few minutes until the pain finally subsided. Meanwhile Owen -- who again is going through his ups and downs adjusting to life with a baby sister -- immediately took off for Tess's room to tend to her. Amy had quickly set Tess in the floor to check on me which upset Tess. Owen continues to surprise us. One day he is checking to see if we are looking so he can box Tess's ears; the next he is tending to his sister's cries. We will see how his adjustment continues to play out.)
Tess has started mimicking her brothers grunts and screams as she absorbs everything the boys do while eating or playing. She has four teeth coming in at once so there have been several nights lately where she wakes up crying. This makes for some long days for mom and dad as our bodies have become accustomed to sleeping through the night again. But for the most part, we continue to thank our lucky stars on how easy of a child Tess is.
I took the boys to get haircuts over the weekend. They are truly well behaved when they are in the haircutting chair. Owen takes his curls very seriously, and Gus enjoys looking at himself and making faces in the mirror. The lobby was full of customers when Owen was finished and came over to sit by me. He inquired why there were so many girls there. I explained to him that sometimes boys cut hair but that today only girls were cutting people's hair.
Seeking his continued reaffirmation of gender differences Owen then blurted out, "And these girls pee sitting on their bums too, right Dad?"
I shrugged and couldn't help a smile as some amused people chuckled beneath their breath.
Ah, children and their inquisitiveness.
Have a great week -- cheers!
Sunday, January 04, 2009
Holidays
Well here we are in 2009. The Rutledges had a great two-week break from school and work (paid work at least) and are now getting back into the routine. Gone are the days where the family sleeps in past 7:00 in the morning and where movies play throughout the day. The pile of sugary holiday sweets on the counter has been replaced by fruits and veggies. The Christmas tree, ornaments and lights are stowed away until next December. But it sure was fun while it lasted.
The holidays were a time of celebrating with family -- both immediate and extended. On Christmas day there were 12 people and 4 dogs in la casa de Rutledge. And although we were all a little cramped, we are fortunate to have family that made their separate treks via car and air to come share in the celebration with us.
This Christmas was the first in which the boys really started to comprehend it. They were bouncing off the wall with excitement, but we got them to sit still for just a moment to snap a photo with Mom.
The prospect of Santa's arrival generated a ton of excitement around our house -- so much so that Gus & Owen even sat on Santa's lap this year without screaming in terror.
Luckily the nice outweighed the naughty as Santa visited our house on Christmas morning. He even ate the cookies and left a note for the kiddos, leaving a plate full of crumbs as evidence of his visit.
GJ, Pappy, Aunt Mel, Uncle Dude and cousin Corinne spent the beginning part of Christmas week with us. Two 3 year-old boys and a (soon to be) 2 year-old girl can certainly generate a lot of energy. But that's what it is all about, and the energy reminded us that Christmas is best when seen through the eyes of little ones.
There was plenty of down time as well with Frosty, the Grinch, and Rudolph providing the entertainment during the breaks.
Young Corinne was so worn out most days by noon that she struggled to make it through lunch.
Aunt Mel got to prep for the coming baby Crumpton by hanging out with Tess.
Gus enjoyed a moment of relaxation with a movie and his GJ.
On Christmas day Granddaddy and Nana arrived to share in the fun and excitement. Tess showed Granddaddy that she prefers the shovel method of eating to a more civilized spoon.
The boys received a whole host of gifts from Santa and family. When you ask them what their favorite present was, the answer will depend on the day. A highlight for Gus was a pair of boots that Santa brought which Gus promptly showed off with his Batman costume and Superman belt. Owen thoroughly enjoys his Computer Cool School, as Nana helped him navigate through painting, counting and a safari hunt.
As for Tessa Lane, she preferred the simple joys of ribbons, boxes, wrapping paper, and her Santa Claus hat.
After our families left Amy & I spent a few days together just the five of us. The boys got to experience their first sleepover at Ms. Ann's house while Mom, Dad & Tess partied down on New Year's Eve -- as much as parents of an infant really party down of course.
Amy & I took Tess to our friends the Learys' house to experience a multi-course fondue dinner with good cheer and company. There were four couples in the dining room surrounded by six baby monitors as we toasted in the New Year. It was comical to see the parents jump as a monitor lit up -- Is it mine? Is it yours? But it was truly an enjoyable time.
By the time the holidays were over some of us were zapped -- as evidenced by Tess catching a snooze on Pappy's shoulder.
But by today when preschool opened its doors back up, Owen and Gus sprinted from my car to the door, stripped off their coats and didn't even give Dad the goodbye high five. Even kids can have enough of home days to want to get back into the routine.
Here we go!
Happy New Year everyone -- cheers!
The holidays were a time of celebrating with family -- both immediate and extended. On Christmas day there were 12 people and 4 dogs in la casa de Rutledge. And although we were all a little cramped, we are fortunate to have family that made their separate treks via car and air to come share in the celebration with us.
This Christmas was the first in which the boys really started to comprehend it. They were bouncing off the wall with excitement, but we got them to sit still for just a moment to snap a photo with Mom.
The prospect of Santa's arrival generated a ton of excitement around our house -- so much so that Gus & Owen even sat on Santa's lap this year without screaming in terror.
Luckily the nice outweighed the naughty as Santa visited our house on Christmas morning. He even ate the cookies and left a note for the kiddos, leaving a plate full of crumbs as evidence of his visit.
GJ, Pappy, Aunt Mel, Uncle Dude and cousin Corinne spent the beginning part of Christmas week with us. Two 3 year-old boys and a (soon to be) 2 year-old girl can certainly generate a lot of energy. But that's what it is all about, and the energy reminded us that Christmas is best when seen through the eyes of little ones.
There was plenty of down time as well with Frosty, the Grinch, and Rudolph providing the entertainment during the breaks.
Young Corinne was so worn out most days by noon that she struggled to make it through lunch.
Aunt Mel got to prep for the coming baby Crumpton by hanging out with Tess.
Gus enjoyed a moment of relaxation with a movie and his GJ.
On Christmas day Granddaddy and Nana arrived to share in the fun and excitement. Tess showed Granddaddy that she prefers the shovel method of eating to a more civilized spoon.
The boys received a whole host of gifts from Santa and family. When you ask them what their favorite present was, the answer will depend on the day. A highlight for Gus was a pair of boots that Santa brought which Gus promptly showed off with his Batman costume and Superman belt. Owen thoroughly enjoys his Computer Cool School, as Nana helped him navigate through painting, counting and a safari hunt.
As for Tessa Lane, she preferred the simple joys of ribbons, boxes, wrapping paper, and her Santa Claus hat.
After our families left Amy & I spent a few days together just the five of us. The boys got to experience their first sleepover at Ms. Ann's house while Mom, Dad & Tess partied down on New Year's Eve -- as much as parents of an infant really party down of course.
Amy & I took Tess to our friends the Learys' house to experience a multi-course fondue dinner with good cheer and company. There were four couples in the dining room surrounded by six baby monitors as we toasted in the New Year. It was comical to see the parents jump as a monitor lit up -- Is it mine? Is it yours? But it was truly an enjoyable time.
By the time the holidays were over some of us were zapped -- as evidenced by Tess catching a snooze on Pappy's shoulder.
But by today when preschool opened its doors back up, Owen and Gus sprinted from my car to the door, stripped off their coats and didn't even give Dad the goodbye high five. Even kids can have enough of home days to want to get back into the routine.
Here we go!
Happy New Year everyone -- cheers!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Rudolph & Stagefright
Owen & Gus had their Christmas/Holiday singalong at their preschool on Wednesday. It did not turn out how Amy and I would have anticipated.
Gus, normally the ham of all hams who never met an audience he didn't love, was struck with stagefright as the cameras from a couple dozen parents flashed. He proceeded to try to disrupt the song by pestering his brother which promptly warranted a removal by his teacher. Gus was so distraught that he began to break down and the teacher quickly moved him back into place. Owen then comforted his partner in crime.
The funny thing was, if you would have asked Amy or me a hundred times which one of the two boys would have broken down at the sight of all the cameras, we would have said Owen (because of his more reserved personality) 99 of those 100 times.
Kids surprise us.
It's a pretty cute little scene to mark for them regardless. Cheers!
Gus, normally the ham of all hams who never met an audience he didn't love, was struck with stagefright as the cameras from a couple dozen parents flashed. He proceeded to try to disrupt the song by pestering his brother which promptly warranted a removal by his teacher. Gus was so distraught that he began to break down and the teacher quickly moved him back into place. Owen then comforted his partner in crime.
The funny thing was, if you would have asked Amy or me a hundred times which one of the two boys would have broken down at the sight of all the cameras, we would have said Owen (because of his more reserved personality) 99 of those 100 times.
Kids surprise us.
It's a pretty cute little scene to mark for them regardless. Cheers!
Monday, December 15, 2008
Tis the Season
The Christmas spirit is alive and well with our crew these days. Much like our birthdays and Halloween, the anticipation and excitement from the boys is contagious and takes Christmas to a whole new level for Amy & me.
Last week we started by going to the Apex Christmas parade. We enticed the boys there with the possibility of seeing Santa. When we got there the MC announced that there were a record 108 floats in the parade this year, meaning we had a long time to wait for St. Nick. After an hour & a half of the cold, Amy & I persuaded the boys to table Santa with the promise of a milkshake. But the parade was fun nonetheless.
This past weekend we made up for missing Santa with a Saturday for the ages. We started off with a birthday party for one of the boys' buddies from the neighborhood. Then we drove down to New Hill, NC for the New Hope Valley Railway train ride. Complete with a real live train ride and a decked-out Santa Claus, we had two excited little boys. Owen gave it the Roger Ebert special.
One morning last week the boys were dreadful trying to get ready to go to school. I think I ended up carrying one under each arm out of the house to the car. On the drive to school I pulled out my phone and "called" Santa's office to ask what the guidelines were for him to stop at our house on Christmas. It was dead silence in the car and both boys conceded that they had to be good.
So on Saturday after Santa had his picture taken with our crew and had moved on to the next family Owen had to make sure that Santa knew the episode earlier in the week was a behavioral aberration. He tugged at Santa's waist and after getting his attention said, "Santa, I've been good."
Tess was a trooper. Our train was open air and it was 42 degrees outside. No matter for Baby T. She was up next to Mom and happy as a clam....er, a pink piglet.
Two thumbs up from the Owenator.
Last week we started by going to the Apex Christmas parade. We enticed the boys there with the possibility of seeing Santa. When we got there the MC announced that there were a record 108 floats in the parade this year, meaning we had a long time to wait for St. Nick. After an hour & a half of the cold, Amy & I persuaded the boys to table Santa with the promise of a milkshake. But the parade was fun nonetheless.
This past weekend we made up for missing Santa with a Saturday for the ages. We started off with a birthday party for one of the boys' buddies from the neighborhood. Then we drove down to New Hill, NC for the New Hope Valley Railway train ride. Complete with a real live train ride and a decked-out Santa Claus, we had two excited little boys. Owen gave it the Roger Ebert special.
One morning last week the boys were dreadful trying to get ready to go to school. I think I ended up carrying one under each arm out of the house to the car. On the drive to school I pulled out my phone and "called" Santa's office to ask what the guidelines were for him to stop at our house on Christmas. It was dead silence in the car and both boys conceded that they had to be good.
So on Saturday after Santa had his picture taken with our crew and had moved on to the next family Owen had to make sure that Santa knew the episode earlier in the week was a behavioral aberration. He tugged at Santa's waist and after getting his attention said, "Santa, I've been good."
Tess was a trooper. Our train was open air and it was 42 degrees outside. No matter for Baby T. She was up next to Mom and happy as a clam....er, a pink piglet.
Two thumbs up from the Owenator.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Caption
Gus: "You know, I think you'd make a pretty good Robin, kiddo."
Tess: "You do know that mask is supposed to be over your face there, don't you chief?"
Monday, December 08, 2008
Doghouse
To all the guys out there preparing to shop for the wife, mom, or girlfriend, stay out of the doghouse this holiday season.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Monday, December 01, 2008
O Christmas Tree
The Rutledge crew concluded Thanksgiving week by conquering a cold, gray, dreary Sunday with some Christmas cheer. We hoisted a Fraser fir up on top of the van in the misty rain, came home, cranked up the Vince Guiraldi, and unpacked Christmas gear to get into the spirit.
The boys are tremendously more excited about Christmas this year. Owen insisted that "we keep the Christmas tree for a very, very, very long time and not let the vacuum truck take it away." (Last year, Amy & I took the tree to the curb the day after Christmas while the boys were napping, and apparently Owen's elephant-like memory still bares the scar.)
After assuring Owen that the tree would be up for several weeks, we proceeded to decorate the tree with lights and ornaments. We put out the Advent calendar, and the first thing out of the boys' mouths this morning was the question on who got to put up the first ornament for December 1.
Meanwhile, Tess enjoyed the lights, the hustle and bustle from her brothers, and any spare paper that she could get in her mouth before one of us grabbed it away. Amy & I chuckled at the kids' enthusiasm -- and we haven't even really brought up Santa Claus yet.
Cheers!
"I know I've seen those boys take this horse and make it fly some way or another."
At last count the bottom branches of the tree had 26 ornaments courtesy of Owen & Gus while the top branches had 3.
Rutledge boys show off their decorating prowess.
Apologies for the darkness, but you get an idea of the energy and the skill de decor of 2 three year-olds.
The boys are tremendously more excited about Christmas this year. Owen insisted that "we keep the Christmas tree for a very, very, very long time and not let the vacuum truck take it away." (Last year, Amy & I took the tree to the curb the day after Christmas while the boys were napping, and apparently Owen's elephant-like memory still bares the scar.)
After assuring Owen that the tree would be up for several weeks, we proceeded to decorate the tree with lights and ornaments. We put out the Advent calendar, and the first thing out of the boys' mouths this morning was the question on who got to put up the first ornament for December 1.
Meanwhile, Tess enjoyed the lights, the hustle and bustle from her brothers, and any spare paper that she could get in her mouth before one of us grabbed it away. Amy & I chuckled at the kids' enthusiasm -- and we haven't even really brought up Santa Claus yet.
Cheers!
"I know I've seen those boys take this horse and make it fly some way or another."
At last count the bottom branches of the tree had 26 ornaments courtesy of Owen & Gus while the top branches had 3.
Rutledge boys show off their decorating prowess.
Apologies for the darkness, but you get an idea of the energy and the skill de decor of 2 three year-olds.
Wrapped Around the Finger
Tess is methodically gaining control of the men of the Rutledge house. Over the past couple of weeks she has made inroads with Owen, who now takes very seriously the responsibility of keeping small objects away from her vicinity. Obviously Dad has been smitten with his baby girl since minute one.
Now she is solidifying her place in the pecking order with brother Gus.
"Worship me, big brother!"
Now she is solidifying her place in the pecking order with brother Gus.
"Worship me, big brother!"
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Gobble Gobble
Amy borrowed an idea from our friend and fellow blogger Amanda Moore, co-author with husband Jason of the wonderfully witty Vance/Moore family blog, for a turkey made out of cantaloupe, pear, cheese & grapes for a Thanksgiving treat. We crafted this with the boys so they could take it to their preschool class on Monday, where it was a tremendous hit with the kids, teachers and parents.Owen & Gus beamed as they showed off their creation to their cohorts. Later that night at home, the boys talked about how they were thankful for Mom, Dad, their friends and teachers at school, and their pajamas.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving -- from our turkey range to yours.
Cheers!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Baby Bjorn Tess
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The other thing that Tess has embraced is waving "bye-bye." At everything. Dorothy, who takes care of Tess in the mornings while Amy works, has even taught Tess the "princess wave." So now our child waves non-stop -- to the high chair when she's done eating, to Mom when she's done nursing, and to the plumber as he left the house today.
My hat is off to the Swedes for this brilliant invention. Cheers!
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