Reunion

The Rutledge clan was treated to a mini family reunion as our house was filled with family the weekend before the 4th. GJ and Pappy are in town for two weeks as they graciously offered to help us out with the boys while preschool is out for the summer. The Crumpton crew -- Aunt Mel ("sometimes I call her Aunt Mel, sometimes I call her Melanie"), Uncle Dude, and Corinne -- made the trek up from Charleston for a vehicle swap and a visit. So we all piled in for a weekend of festive fun and avoided bloody competitive battles of Scattergories at all costs.

The weather is muggy and hot here -- typical July in North Carolina. So on Saturday we put the swimsuits on the kids and ventured up to the neighborhood pool. It was only the second time this summer that we have taken the boys to the pool so there is a "re-initiation" of sorts that has to take place as they discover their courage to get off the pool steps. Corinne on the other hand was in true water bug form as she happily paraded around the pool with her dad and mom before the need for nap took over.

On Sunday we all ventured to Covenant where we kicked things off with an interesting conversation about South Carolina's new religious license plate offering. Then we followed that up with Tess's dedication, in which she managed being in front of a crowd much better than her hyper brothers.

Finally on Sunday night we invited our good friends John and Jeanne White over for a summer cookout. The Whites are originally from Glasgow and have settled in Cary to be closer to their kids and grandkids on the east coast. Amy & I met them at our church one Sunday and then made the connection that they knew Jane & C.E -- small world. John treated C.E. to a day at the links in Pinehurst on Saturday and was kind enough to bring his camera along for some family shots on Sunday.

The weekend was good to reconnect with family on one of those rare occasions where all the Rutledge grandkids were under one roof. We are all so busy with the demands and routines of our own lives so we appreciate these opportunities to spend the time together. Cheers!


Tess was all smiles as Rev. Joanne showed her off and dedicated her as the boys fidgeted at their mom and dad's feet.



The promise of watermelon on a summer afternoon was made in exchange for a sit-down photo where the kids are still for 5 seconds together.


Owen's favorite shirts are the ones that are two sizes too small that Mom & Dad still haven't removed from his closet. Today, he insisted on being Watermelon Diego.


Gus is a different character every day -- including workin' man, baby dog, mama dog, and motorcycle man. He announces his character de jour each morning and we follow suit. On this day he was "racing man" wearing his 5K running shirt.

"I just know you're going to give me some of that watermelon, GJ. Gimme, gimme, gimme."


Corinne's favorite spot of the weekend was undoubtedly the wagon. Top it off with Dad feeding watermelon to her while she's in the wagon and that's pretty much paradise to an 18-month old.

Stand By Your Brother

Gus and Owen have wrapped up their first year of preschool. They have "graduated" from the toddler class and will be entering the 3- to 6-year-old class in the fall. In the meantime Amy squeezed out two more weeks of child care in the mornings as we enrolled them in music camp and cooking class. Last week they played drums and guitar while grooving to Elvis & the Beatles. The jury is still out on which one liked the King and which one liked the Fab Four. This week they have made pizza and pancakes at cooking camp, and Amy & I are determined to have them working the grill by the end of the summer. After all it's hard work coming up with dinner ideas every night as working parents everywhere can attest.

Tess has started to roll over. She can manage the belly-to-back move pretty easily, and with some more effort she has started to roll from back-to-belly. One funny thing she has started doing is kicking the fish aquarium that hangs on the side of her crib to turn on the bubbles & music. Amy & I heard this a few days ago through the baby monitor and thought that she must have thrown a lucky kick into just the right spot. But Tess's good fortune led to determination as the past two mornings she has maneuvered her way over to the aquarium and to kick start her day with fish sounds.

The boys are really ready for a break from the schedule & routine of school. I think it will be good for them to enjoy summer and the relaxed schedule that always accompanies it. Meanwhile their vocabularies continue to expand as they throw together some sentences that make us as parents do double takes. Gus's new thing is "Dad, you are a crazy old man!" which is now commonplace around the house since his first exclamation of it drew such a laugh from Amy and me.

Another thing that we have noticed emerging is Gus and Owen's protectiveness for each other. Last night the boys were rolling around the front yard with their friend Logan, rough-housing and tumbling over each other. All of a sudden Gus stood up and had enough:

"Logan! You! Get! Off! My! Brother!!"

Logan was a bit stunned at the command and limped back to his mom for some reassurance. Apparently only Gus is allowed to beat the snot out of his brother.

In another incident last week at music camp the boys reported back to us that they were not fans of a little boy, Ben, who was also attending the camp. Gus explained that he was not happy at all with this Ben for taking his drum away from him. Amy & I inquired of Gus how he reacted to his drum being taken. Did he use his words to tell him that it was his drum? Did he hit Ben?

"No, I didn't hit him, but he is not nice."

Amy & I smiled at each other and were thoroughly pleased as we are constantly working with the boys to share their things and to work disagreements out by talking rather than cold-cocking when they get mad. So next we turned to Owen.

"Owen, did you see Ben take the drum from Gus?"
"Yes, Ben is not nice."
"Did you use your words to tell Ben that it was Gus's drum?"
"No, I hit Ben."
"Oh. You hit him?"
"Yeah."
"Why did you hit him?"
"'Cos he took my brother's drum."

Well 1 out of 2 is not so bad. We'll get there.

Amy & I are gearing up for a big family weekend. GJ, Pappy, Aunt Mel, Uncle Dude, and Corinne and all the pups will be making the trek to North Carolina for a few days of R&R. The boys ask us every morning if it's Friday -- they are clearly looking forward to the company. It will be a good break for us as well as Amy has really been surfing the stress waters with all her responsibilities -- work, 3 kids, husband, house, more work, etc. etc. We hope to have one of those weekends where nothing is planned and we can turn the kiddos loose outside while the adults enjoy a few happy hours on the patio marveling at their energy. Should be a great time.

Cheers!

It's a Girl!

A huge congratulations to our friends David and Julie Orthober on the birth of their first child, Madeline Elizabeth, who was born yesterday. What an incredible Father's Day present! I chatted with Dave really quick this morning right as the doctor was coming in, and he said everyone was doing well and that he was instantly smitten by his little daughter. Those little girls have a way of doing that with their dads, don't they?

Father's Day

To all the dads out there... we wish you a Happy Father's Day!

Big Russ

A very sad start to the weekend as Tim Russert died today of a heart attack at the age of 58. The "Meet the Press" host was the king of political journalism. In a media culture full of blowhards and partisans, Russert was the ultimate in fair, down-the-middle reporting.

Amy & I would often tape his show on the DVR and watch it on Sunday nights after the boys were down. What a loss.

Roundup

Weekend roundup...

• The Rutl crew endured the heat wave that smothered the east coast over the past week. Temps were close to 110 heat index last weekend. Now the mercury has dropped to a mild and temperate 90. Oh well, so much for spring -- summer is here for sure. (I had to placate my buddy Chris who emailed me earlier this week wondering where my annual "it's @#$& hot outside!" blog post was. Apparently the heat wave extended to the Northeast as well.)
  

• Adding to the need to stay indoors is a 60 square mile forest fire in the Pocosin National Wildlife Refuge over by the Outer Banks. Smoke from the fire traveled as far west as the Triangle yesterday giving us a Code Red ozone day. The fact that smoke could reach us here 150+ away -- traveling west nonetheless -- was a surprise.
  

• Owen & Gus finished toddler class at preschool this week. When I dropped off the kids on on the last day the teachers looked like they were prepared to celebrate whereas the parents were groping with the reality of keeping their kids entertained for the next 10 weeks. For the first time Amy & I sat down and planned out the summer months so we could manage & juggle kids with grandparent visits, day camps, vacation, and babysitters. Nothing like kids to reinforce the old Boy Scout mantra of being prepared.
  

• Tess is finding her voice. She squeals & shrieks to get attention, stunning herself that such a loud noise was something that she indeed generated. It is pretty comical. We will try to get some video to share. She is at a cool phase now where she is a little easier to soothe when she gets agitated. Where the first couple of months only picking her up and/or giving her to Amy to eat provided reassurance, now she has grown accustomed to the sound of our voices to calm her down. Like I have said many times, we are very fortunate to have an easy baby in Tess ("Tessa Lou Lou" as I now have Gus calling her.)
  

• A shameless bit of self-promotion.....our local NPR station is a mainstay at our house and in our vehicles. A while back during one of its fundraisers the station advertised a campaign called MySource where listeners could write in with their comments about what they enjoyed about public radio. I submitted a little blurb after battling the boys in the van for control of the audio -- their Curious George movie or Dad's NPR. I got an email the other day that they put it up on their website.
  

• Finally a political word -- the next time you hear John McCain & conservatives try to tell you that Barack Obama is going to raise your taxes, check this out. (Hat tip to my buddy Scott K. for the link.)

  "Will the Real Tax-and-Spender Please 'Fess Up"

According to the group’s computations, under Mr. Obama’s plan, the middle of the middle class, or those earning $37,595 to $66,354, would see taxes cut by $1,042 a year. Under Mr. McCain’s plan, taxes for people in that category would also fall, but by $319; the largest chunk of the benefits would go to those making $2.8 million a year or more.

Have a good weekend everybody. Cheers!

The Great Seduction

I love this column by David Brooks. He makes the point that the deterioration of Americans' financial values is one of society's biggest problems. As I read this I thought back to my days in college where there were kiosks sprinkled throughout campus with credit card companies giving away all kinds of gifts to get college students to sign up for yet another credit card. Really interesting read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/10/opinion/10brooks.html

Over the past 30 years, much of that has been shredded. The social norms and institutions that encouraged frugality and spending what you earn have been undermined. The institutions that encourage debt and living for the moment have been strengthened. The country’s moral guardians are forever looking for decadence out of Hollywood and reality TV. But the most rampant decadence today is financial decadence, the trampling of decent norms about how to use and harness money.

..........................

On the one hand, there is what the report calls the investor class. It has tax-deferred savings plans, as well as an army of financial advisers. On the other hand, there is the lottery class, people with little access to 401(k)’s or financial planning but plenty of access to payday lenders, credit cards and lottery agents.

Yes We Can!

La Casa de Rutl is a happy, happy place tonight. Barack Obama is the Democratic nominee for President.

[T]his is our moment. This is our time. Our time to turn the page on the policies of the past and bring new energy and new ideas to the challenges we face. Our time to offer a new direction for the country we love.

Yes. We. Can.

A Tess Chuckle

Amy caught Tess laughing on video for the first time with an assist from Gus.

Enjoy!

Three-Day Weekend

Memorial Day weekend was a needed refresher for the Rutledge family. Like all parents, Amy & I get caught up in the hustle and bustle of raising kids and forget to exhale too often. I don't mean to complain about it because we are truly fortunate to have three wonderful, healthy kids. But I'm not going to sugarcoat it either -- life with twin 3 year-old boys and a 3 month-old infant is not easy right now. So the three-day weekend could not have come at a better time.

Saturday morning was a highlight as the whole family congregated in the nursery as Amy nursed Tess, each of us still in our pajamas and me sipping my coffee. The boys went through the box of toys in Tess's closet handing her a variety of animals and rattles. Amy & I relaxed with -- imagine this -- a conversation. Finally we had the chance to simply hang out and not hurriedly rush for school, work, etc.

Later that afternoon Amy & I hit the kitchen with a pitcher of daiquiris as we made salsa & snacks for a cookout. Our neighbors the Singletons came over to share in the fun as the the kids played together with reckless abandon. Owen, normally one to warm up only to those that he is familiar with, giggled himself silly sliding down the slide with Erin, the older daughter.

On Sunday we went to church where our wonderful minister Joanne gave a very cool sermon about worry and fear dominating life. It was the ultimate cup-filler message that these two busy parents absorbed -- a great reminder to get out of the weeds and see the bigger picture. Later that afternoon we ventured up the street to another cookout with some neighbors. Gus & Owen got to drive a motorized fire truck that squirted water and sported a walkie-talkie. Talk about hog heaven -- Gus was so excited to be sporting his firefighter cap and actually riding on a fire truck that he melted down when it was time to leave.

Meanwhile Baby T went along for the ride for all the weekend activities. She hung out with Dorothy at the cookout on Saturday, fell asleep in the Baby Bjorn at church (I wonder where she learned that one), and stared intently at all the commotion of young children at the cookout on Sunday. At the risk of completely jinxing Amy & me as lucky parents, I have to say that Tess is a very easy baby. GJ points out that Tess doesn't really have a choice -- that by having two older brothers she will have to learn to go with the flow. Others have pointed out that the second time around -- especially after twins -- parents are much more relaxed. I don't know if Amy & I are relaxed, but we do know what to expect much better than the first time around the block. Still, for all of that much of it is Tess's gentle disposition. Yes she cries when she's hungry or if she's tired and fighting sleep. But for the most part she is the grinning observer, easily going along for the ride with her mom, dad and brothers.

Finally on Memorial Day we separated the boys as they were getting a bit of cabin fever being cooped up with each other. Gus hung out at home relaxing with mom and sister while I took Owen out for lunch and a haircut. (I am in the doghouse for getting Owen's curly curls chopped off, but I contend the kid was starting to look like Richard Simmons without the headband & tights.)

So it's fair to say the Rutledges took full advantage of the Memorial Day break. Nothing like the chance to get out of the routine with a three-day weekend to stop and smell the roses.

Cheers!





Ah, to be a kid again...

Donut Hole Terrorism

Dunkin' Donuts pulled an ad with Rachel Ray because she wore this scarf in the commercial. Apparently some right-wingnuts caused a fuss about the scarf being symbolic of Muslim extremists and by extension, Dunkin' Donuts supported terrorism.

Sigh.

What in the world is wrong with people? It's Rachel Ray....and a scarf for crying out loud!

"Dunkin' Donuts yanks Rachel Ray ad"

Showing Off NC

Last weekend we were treated to first-time visitors to the Rutledge household as Amy's father Craig and her half-sister Tracie made the trek from Paducah, Kentucky to North Carolina. It was Tracie's first trip on an airplane -- and hopefully not the last as the return flight was slowed by one of those frustrating 2+ hour weather delays. But the visit was a lot of fun as it gave Craig and Tracie a chance to get to know Owen, Gus, and Tess as well as reconnect with Amy. The boys completely took to Tracie, and Craig got to experience how calm and mellow Tess can be as a baby. And the trip gave Amy and I a chance to show off our area a bit and take us out of our suburban comfort zone.

The crew went into downtown Raleigh to historic Pullen Park for a picnic where the kids (and adults) had a ball riding the carousel, paddle boats, and train around the park. Then we ventured over to Durham on a gorgeous spring Sunday afternoon to check out Duke University, where despite the negative connotation that is associated with Duke (e.g. town & gown, elitist, Coach K, etc.) it truly is a beautiful place with incredible old buildings, oak- and magnolia-lined walkways, and the massive Duke Gardens.

Amy & I gladly took the opportunity of the extra helping hands as we all went out for a late lunch on a patio at a Mexican Restaurant in downtown Durham. That marked the first time we had ventured out to eat (other than takeout) with our newly-expanded family.

The weekend was a good break from the norm. We hope to be able to build on it for future visits.

Cheers!


Picnicking at historic Pullen Park in downtown Raleigh.


Craig & I took the boys for a paddle boat ride around the lake. Only once did we venture off course into the trees that draped over from the shore. Of course that's what the boys remember about the boat ride -- "we went into the trees, Dad, into the trees!" Next time, 2 three year-olds I know are going to be paddling while the adults "steer."


We thought the train ride around the perimeter of the park was going to be the highlight for Owen & Gus. But actually the ride on the "motor boats" complete with bell ringing and splashing took the prize in their eyes.



Tess was all smiles from her car seat perch in the stroller as she wound her way through the park.



Duke Chapel is quite a remarkable site as a backdrop to the Duke campus. It was built in 1935 for $2 million (!) and with its stained-glassed windows gives visitors a majestic sense of appreciation when you walk up to it.


I was able to snap a quick shot of everyone in the only 5 second stretch where the boys sat still all weekend....


....and I was this close to convincing Craig to take a souvenir back with him to Kentucky! ;-)

Zoo

"Zoo" is a perfect word for the scene at la casa de Rutledge the month of May. Amy & I have been Energizer bunny parents juggling work, family, kids, etc. the past several weeks so I apologize for the lack of posts. We did take full advantage of the long holiday weekend to s-l-o-w d-o-w-n. The holiday weekend was a much needed refresher -- more on Memorial Day weekend coming....

In the meantime, here are a couple of catch-up posts from the happenings in our lives.

Cheers!



After my return from Las Vegas and the horrendous stomach bug that thwarted my weekend (including my ever-deserving wife's Mother's Day), Amy & I took the boys, Tess, and Dorothy to the North Carolina Zoo. It was our third trip to the zoo, and each one brings more and more anticipation from the boys. One of the highlights was the elephant exhibit, where the long-trunked behemoths were close to the fence for up-close viewing (as was the elephant-sized dung pile which I have graciously cropped out of this photo).


Dorothy was a trooper in making the zoo trek with us this year as she wheeled Tess around the exhibits and onto tram shuttles. Sometimes the help one gets from three year-olds is not really that much of a help. But his intentions are good.


Ok, I can't resist a cheesy pun here for this caption of "Owen coming out of his shell..." but it really is an accurate analysis of his emerging personality. Owen is less reluctant and shy around people lately. Even his teacher at Montessori mentioned that to Amy & me when we met her for a conference last week. Owen is still not as fearlessly outgoing as Gus, but he has begun to interact with kids and adults, developing a contagious laugh when he gets excited and wound up.
Even though Gus did not get to ride the giraffe on his zoo trip, he didn't let that stop him from climbing atop this rhino as he tried to scurry past his mother's watchful reach. Yet another fitting analogy to the hustle and bustle of life with twin three year-olds right now.

Paducah

Cool article in the NYT about a town near and dear to us, Amy's hometown of Paducah, Kentucky.

"How Artists Saved Paducah, Kentucky"

But what’s most significant about Paducah is that it has become the model of how a rundown town can revive itself with the arts — and it’s done so in a big-box-retail-loving red state, no less. ‘‘I think of Paducah as a kind of a poster child for using a very creative initiative around older small buildings,’’ says Ann Markusen, a professor at the University of Minnesota and an expert in regional economics. ‘‘Artists are putting their own sweat equity into Paducah.’’

Hat tip to Mike O'D for the link...

Politico Friday

Viewing of the day: Hardball, May 15, 2008
One of the political shows on television I find interesting is Hardball on MSNBC. Chris Matthews is the bulldog host who obnoxiously interrupts his guests with another question as they are still trying to answer his previous question. And while his style can be brash, he has the confidence to call a spade a spade and the intellect to back up his assertions.

Last night on Hardball Matthews invited a talk-show host from the left and from the right to debate the story yesterday where President Bush covertly accused Barack Obama's support of an open dialogue with Iran and Hamas as "appeasement" of the radical Islamic groups just as the Nazis were appeased prior to WWII. When the talk-show host stopped screaming and was pressed to answer Matthews' question of how the Nazis were actually appeased, he couldn't answer the question. Matthews proceeded to unload in a tirade on the guy. It was highly entertaining and in my view, completely justified. This guy might read up on some history before he goes on a talk show the next time to regurgitate right-wing talking points.



Op-ed of the day: "Obama Admires Bush," David Brooks, NYT, May 16, 2008
Obama clarified and articulated his foreign policy position towards Islamic terrorist organizations like Hezbollah in a discussion with David Brooks. At first glance Obama's positions can be dismissed as naive and ideal. He supports discussions with Iran, North Korea, Hamas, and Hezbollah whereas his critics (many conservatives and even Hillary Clinton) do not believe in acknowledging the leaders of these radical regimes. But when you read deeper into his view that engaging enemies in discussions is not a sign of weakness but sound foreign policy, I think this illustrates a needed change in our attitude toward other countries. It represents -- finally! -- a Democrat willing to shine the light on the vast differences that exist between our two parties when it comes to engaging our enemies.

This is the debate the country should be having between now and November rather than goofy ministers and flag pins on the lapel.

“The debate we’re going to be having with John McCain is how do we understand the blend of military action to diplomatic action that we are going to undertake,” he said. “I constantly reject this notion that any hint of strategies involving diplomacy are somehow soft or indicate surrender or means that you are not going to crack down on terrorism. Those are the terms of debate that have led to blunder after blunder.”

Obama said he found that the military brass thinks the way he does: “The generals are light-years ahead of the civilians. They are trying to get the job done rather than look tough.”

Chirping

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. After being away for a week I could swear Tess has grown and changed a month's worth. She is becoming more alert and observant of all the sights and sounds around her. Tess will just sit and stare at the boys and the commotion their presence brings into a room. And when she hears a familiar voice that she knows, she will light up a smile and coo in response.

Amy & I will do the goofiest things to entice them from the little child.

Giraffe Riding

The weekend and Mother's Day didn't exactly go as Amy & I planned. I returned from Las Vegas bringing a nasty stomach bug back with me which confined me to the bed all day Saturday and a good part of Sunday. (Whatever happened to "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas???") Mother's Day was a rainy, stay inside sort of day for Amy which is a challenge with little ones anyway, much less with a whiny sick husband to take care of on top of it. So we decided to make up for the lost weekend and take a day off to take the kids to the zoo.

We have been to the zoo with the boys a few times now and every time they seem to get more and more excited about it. Today was no exception as we told the boys at breakfast that we were going to the zoo tomorrow. You would have thought we told them that they would only have to eat chocolate for the rest of their lives and could watch Handy Manny all night instead of going to bed. Needless to say, the boys were stoked.

"That makes me very, very, very happy," Gus happily announced.

On the drive to school Owen wanted to know the list of animals that would be there -- lions, tigers, bears, polar bears, alligators, you name it. He went through them all. When Amy picked the boys up this afternoon, their teachers asked, "Are you all perhaps going to the zoo? I hope so, because the boys told everyone about it and are pretty excited."

As the day wore on apparently the excitement built in their three year-old minds from going to the zoo to actually getting to ride the animals at the zoo. Gus happily reported that not only was he going to see the giraffes with the long, long necks, but that he was going to ride the giraffes.

So tomorrow we make up for a lost weekend and head to the zoo with two jubilant boys. Dorothy will be coming with us so it will be Tess's first zoo experience. We'll see how the giraffe riding plays out.

What Happens in Vegas

Greetings from Las Vegas, where a person can...

• go a full week without breathing fresh air or seeing the sun,
• be greeted first thing in the morning off the elevator by grisly tourists still wearing out the nickel slots with a drink in their hand and a Marlboro Light in their mouth at 7:00am,
  
• have a conversation with an executive about software education for business partners only to be interrupted by blaring lights and music as a scantily-clad cocktail waitress hops atop a platform for a song & dance,
  
• same situation as above only with the shirtless Chippendale's dancers approaching ladies to have their take their picture taken with them.
  

Ah, Las Vegas. There is no place like it. And while I contend that Vegas is the most artificial, gaudy, plastic place on the planet, it is what brings 2,000 software consultants from IBM together every year for our technical conference.

This year has definitely been the best of the four conferences I have attended. I think the biggest plus for me is getting to meet people that I work with face-to-face after a year of laboring to get things accomplished via phone calls, web conferences, and email. Each year more and more contacts are made so it is that much more rewarding to connect with these people. So while I may grumble about the excessive cheesiness of this place, it has still been a productive week.

Cheers from Slot Machine land!

Pickin' and Grinnin'

Last week the Rutledge family embarked on a strawberry picking adventure at a farm close to our house. We loaded up the baby in the Baby Bjorn and outfitted the boys with plastic buckets on a great spring evening after dinner. I have to hand it to Amy on this one -- she broke up the nightly grind with a timely outing that broke the routine and was a lot of fun for the whole family.




You could easily tell which strawberries were picked by parents and which berries were picked by Owen, who was drawn to the under-developed greenish white berries instead of the fat juicy red ones.


So Dad had to step in and show Owen which ones would go better on ice cream.


It was all fun and games until the Gus man got stuck in the mud. He was even more unhappy when instead of stopping to give him a hand, his mother and father insisted on snapping a picture. Mean old mom & dad.


Once the mud crisis was averted, it was back to fun and games and smiles.

Here's hoping you all get the time to go pick some berries wherever your strawberry farm may be.

Cheers!

Humpday

Back from the northeast with a whirlwind trip to Boston to attend the wedding of our good friends Chris & Pam LeDuc. It was a great time for Amy & me to see friends and bond with Tess without some of the responsibilities of home which were ably covered by GJ & Pappy. Much appreciated!

Another wedding is on tap this weekend as our friend Dave Jenkins ties the knot. This time the wedding is local so travel won't be an issue. Aunt Mel and Uncle Dude are also coming up to attend with us -- should be a grand time. Nana and Granddaddy have graciously agreed to take not just the three Rutledge monsters, but a Crumpton too as Corinne will be making the trip up to NC with her mom & dad. We're hoping for good weather so the kids can be sent outside to run off their energy and grandparents can take turns holding the baby! (Right now the forecast looks like 80 & potential thunderstorms -- gulp!)

Aside from the family front, I will be in Las Vegas next week for a conference with work. Those who know me well know that of all the places in the country not a good fit for me, Las Vegas tops the list. The first two days I'm there are great as I am all about seeing the people that I work with all year long via phone & email. But by Day 3, the incessant ringing of the slot machines, eating the same food over and over, and the general gaudiness and tackiness of Sin City begin to wear on me. Luckily this year a couple of my friends & co-workers from Raleigh are going out too so that should help make the trip enjoyable. Plus there's the whole notion of five nights of uninterrupted sleep......now that I think about it, Vegas isn't sounding as bad as I thought.

So today I mailed in my absentee ballot as the North Carolina primary is next week. More thoughts on that later, but I admit my spirits are down with the latest emergence of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. His insistence on taking the spotlight and throwing Barack Obama under the bus is frustrating to me as an Obama supporter, especially considering the fact that Obama took the high road in his Philadelphia speech responding to the controversy. But despite that frustration the Obama bumper sticker is still on the Accord, and I didn't even give a second thought about going to see Bill Clinton as he visited Apex less than 5 miles from my house this morning. Enough already, it's time to move on.

Cheers!

Bah-stan Weekend

Amy & I are looking forward to what we consider a mini-vacation this weekend. Our dear friend Chris LeDuc is getting married in Boston on Saturday so we are about to take Tess on her first plane ride and to her first wedding. (No more 'til you're 27, sweetie!)

GJ and Pappy are in town to have a grandparents' weekend with the boys. The boys are in good hands so the parents are hoping to escape for 48 hours. It should be a great time.

As you can tell from the lack of posts it's been a hectic time this past week at la casa de Rutledge. Sorry for the lack of pix -- there is a great one of Gus in his Halloween firefighter outfit, lizard boots, and firefighter cap that I will find on the camera. The kid is just a performer -- I walked in to his room one day last week when he wasn't napping and he had pulled the gear out of his closet himself, beaming proud from ear to ear.

North Carolina primary is less than 2 weeks away. Who would have thought we Tar Heels would have a say in this endless parade on the Dem side. I have been kind of quiet on that front lately -- partly out of disinterest because the campaign is dragging on so long and partly out of the strange respect for Clinton for being like one of those zombies in the "Night of the Living Dead" that wouldn't go away. Maybe we can do our part on May 6.

Here's my favorite post-PA read about the endless game. Dowd knocks this out of the park.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/opinion/23dowd.html

We will touch base with everyone after the weekend. It will be funny to see how many people try to get themselves re-seated on the plane so they don't have to sit by the baby! More legroom for me anyway.

Cheers -- have a great weekend.

Bungee Mobile

Tess is a huge fan of the singing flowers that my uncle Steve and aunt Laura gave to her. Whenever she starts feeling squirrelly we seek out the flowers, and Tess is mesmerized.

The other night we went to creative links to keep her content in her crib as she does not like to be left alone on her back -- she's a shoulder baby if there ever was one. Gus wasn't happy that he lost his bungee cord, but he'll forget about it sooner or later.

Watch those feet go! Cheers!

Birthday Boys

My how time flies. Owen and Gus are three years old today. Some days it seems like yesterday when Amy was grounded on the couch for months of bed rest at the old house. Other days it seems eons ago. Amy & I celebrated the boys' birthday over the weekend by throwing them and several of their friends a Diego-inspired birthday party at our house. We stayed up late Friday night planning an animal rescue adventure, icing cupcakes, stuffing a piñata, and enjoying ourselves more than you would think two tired parents would enjoy the whole process.

In the end, the rain held off just long enough to make the party a really fun time for the kiddos. Amy & I were longing for sleep by weekend's end, but by next year we'll be geared up for another one I'm sure.

Happy birthday dudes. Cheers!

The animal rescue started with rescue heroes Logan and Gus locating the spotting scope in the rescue center....


....then on to the fishing station to save a fish with a hurt fin....


...before proceeding up, up, up Jaguar Mountain with the help of the rip cord rope.



Finally, the kids rescued one of several beanie babies in a trapped cat carrier, a pile of sticks, or a tree -- such as this ferocious land shark.


After last year's struggle for two-year olds to bust open the piñata, we hoped a year's worth of strength and conditioning would enable them as three year-olds to take care of business. Alas, Michael's dad Mark had to step in and assist to knock it open. The young animal rescuers very much appreciated the help so they could get to the candy. Hit the weights children for next year.


Gus & Owen show their impeccable eating manners at cake time.


Benjamin gets some help digging into cake from his dad Rob while Michael clings to the crane that he rescued from a massive wood pile.


Gracen, Jack, Emma, and Gabe discuss having birthdays every week over a sugar high from cake & ice cream.

Little Drummer Boy

Amy & I have started cycling out some of the TV shows that Owen & Gus don't watch as much anymore. With the onslaught of Diego, former mainstays like Clifford the Big Red Dog and Thomas and Friends are now off the boys' radar.

So Amy & I have been trying to nudge them toward Super Why, a PBS show that begins letter and word recognition and has "super readers" as the heroes. The boys are all about the letters in their own names and recognizing when they see "O - W - E - N" and "G - U - S" wherever they go. So we figure they're ready to move beyond some of the shows that were their former stalwarts.

What's more, Super Why -- like so many kids' shows -- has one of those instantly recognizable theme songs that sticks in parents' heads all day long. I don't even try to conceal it anymore -- I'll just hum the Diego theme song while I'm walking to the cafeteria at work. If someone does a double take, they obviously don't have toddlers.

Here, Gus goes after his dad's heart with his first drum solo and his own unique take on the Super Why song. Cheers!

Knock on Zzz Wood

Amy & I have ourselves a sleeper. Tess has slept through the night about 6-7 hours the past three nights. Oh what a difference an unbroken night's sleep makes. While this certainly is not a guarantee that the 4 a.m. feeding won't return, it is a very encouraging sign. There are two grateful, fortunate parents who are very happy with this latest development from their two month-old.

This past week Owen & Gus have been out on spring break. Yes, preschools even have spring break for toddlers. I actually saw one of the boys' teachers over the weekend at Target, and even she was seriously looking forward to getting back into the school routine. We find that the boys really get out of sync when they are out of school for a prolonged period -- or maybe it's the parents whose world is turned upside-down. Either way....

Keeping the same theme of gratitude and good fortune, GJ has been in town for the past week to help keep the boys occupied. This has been a tremendous help as we have not been able to get the boys outside as much as we had hoped due to the welcome rain that has fallen on North Carolina over the past week. So having GJ here to interact with the boys has been great. And although we have not seen the sun in many days due to the rain, the rivers and lakes are finally returning to normal levels after a really serious drought here. Tomorrow GJ heads back to Kentucky to resume life in the Bluegrass, and life returns to normal here as the boys go back to school.

Championship basketball is on tonight with Memphis & Kansas vying for the NCAA title. Saturday's semifinals were surprisingly both blowouts. Hopefully tonight will be better. My soapbox moment of the day concerns CBS's coverage of the Final Four. First, CBS won't start the game tonight until 9:30 pm so the game will not likely be over until after midnight for those of us on the east coast. Second and more importantly, why in the world CBS continues to give the play-by-play & color every year to Jim Nantz and Billy Packer is beyond me. No one can suck the life, energy and fun out of one of the world's greatest sporting events quite like the second guessing of the biggest know-it-all curmudgeon Packer. Consider what the games would be like if CBS finally passed the torch to the incredibly exciting Gus Johnson.



Cheers!

Monsters

Owen & Gus have hit the "monster" phase the past couple of weeks. They run through the house claiming to be chased by a monster or a shark with sharp teeth. They refuse to go near rooms where the lights are off. Our incredibly mellow dog Tucker has morphed into a T-Rex that tries to eat them when they are outside. Amy & I are a bit perplexed on how this all started. We did notice that a couple of the TV shows they watch had episodes that talked about nightmares, ghosts, etc. But the shows are cartoons for preschoolers on Noggin or PBS ("Little Bear" and "George Shrinks") and are pretty tame. So much for the Homer Simpson method of letting TV raise our kids.

My challenge as a sarcastic father is to try to nix the notion of monsters instead of embellishing it in exchange for a laugh -- even if it is one that only I find funny. So when Owen says to me, "Dad, you're a monster!" and runs screaming to the next room, I have to bite my tongue and reassure him that I am merely a benevolent mortal and not in fact a slobbering monster who has come to eat the resident toddlers in the house.

Still, the devil in me is reminded of the classic Far Side cartoon from Gary Larson. Resist the temptation, Derek, resist the temptation.


Cheers!

Constant Companions

Being a twin requires you to share in a lot of things with your sibling -- room, toys, meals, baths, clothes, and attention to name a few. There are times at home when Owen & Gus act out simply because they are demanding their own individual time away from each other. So having a constant companion can at times be stifling for a toddler.

That said, there are clearly times when it is great for the boys to have a constant playmate, especially as the weather gets warm and the boys begin to get outside with their boundless energy. So Owen and Gus got a treat this week with an early birthday present as the playset was delivered and assembled in the backyard.

Each of their reactions was a microcosm of their little personalities. Gus couldn't test the playset out fast enough as he ran from slide to steps to swings, chattering the whole time in breathless sentences, clearly in little boy heaven. Meanwhile Owen stood back and observed his new contraption as he sized up the entrances, exits, construction features, architecture, and design. Once he had the playset accurately sized up he bolted for the swing where he flipped over, landed on his head, got up with a face full of mulch and a smile on his face. He and Gus laughed and played as hard as they could.

"This makes me very, very, very, very happy," Gus proudly stated.

The parents were nearly as excited as the boys as Amy & I were able to share our first happy hour together since last summer as we watched from the deck as the boys entertained themselves. Having a constant companion has its advantages.

Cheers!

The anticipation....

....and the site of many fun hours for little ones.

Working Woman

Laptop, check.....conference call, check.....notebook, check.....sleeping infant, check.

Multi-tasking at its finest right here. Cheers!

Grinner

Despite Tess's best attempts at not being photographed showing off her new grin, Amy caught her today.

Cheers!

Cadbury Hangover

Easter has come and gone. Eggs were dyed and hunted. Chocolate was consumed. Toddlers were wired from sugar highs.

When you stop and think about it, the idea of knowingly searching for plastic eggs filled with chocolate and candy that are hidden virtually out in the open is a pretty exciting notion, especially for two year-olds that are known to get excited at the mere possibility of watching the same Diego episode for the 212th time. So it goes without saying, Easter was a hit for Owen and Gus.

Amy & I took the boys to an Easter egg hunt on Saturday at our church. Yesterday, our neighbors had an egg hunt for the boys after they woke up from their naps. By last night the boys professed their love for the Easter bunny more willingly than for their mom and dad, who make them take baths and stop eating candy. Mean old parents.

When we weren't hunting for chocolate, there was definitely some time devoted to basketball over the weekend. Amy was gracious enough to take all three kids and give me an evening off on Friday so I could go to the RBC Center to watch the first round of NCAA tournament games. The games themselves -- UNC blowing out Mt. St. Mary's and Arkansas beating a lackadaisical Indiana team -- were uneventful. But to get out and tailgate on a great spring day and follow that up with four hours of live basketball is treat enough for me. I was a happy camper.

There were some great games over the first weekend although my beloved Cats bowed out in the first round. Western Kentucky posted an upset over Drake on Friday which still holds up as the best game of the tournament so far. Going to games in Bowling Green as a kid to watch the Hilltoppers is to this day a great memory so I was very happy to see Big Red make a surprising run to the Sweet 16. Another team closer to us in the Tar Heel state, Davidson, also advanced to the tournament's second weekend by knocking off Gonzaga and Georgetown in front of a partisan UNC crowd in Raleigh. Having surprise teams advance in the NCAA tournament reinforces why the NCAA and the Final Four are the greatest event in sports. I love it.

Tess is getting better as time progresses. She still has some congestion and coughing, but she is much, much better than two weeks ago. She has started smiling which generates a whole host of goofy, funny enticements from Mom and Dad who are doing anything and everything to coax a gummy grin from our little girl. We'll try to get some pictures or video up soon.

Amy goes back to work part-time today. We have learned over the past couple of weeks since GJ left that we are very likely going to need some part-time help in the mornings so Amy can get some work done. We have reached out to a few people and have had some conversations with candidates. Ultimately we want someone to come to the house as we're just not ready to drop off a six-week old with someone else right now. Plus, having someone come to our house calms a parent's fears of horrible nanny stories that surface from time to time. But we are hopeful that the routine will get worked out soon, and we will find the right person.

Finally, the boys don't know the excitement that is about to be coming their way. Amy & I have met with a local guy that builds playsets that fit your yard & landscaping. When we took up the project in the backyard last fall, the hope was to create a space for the boys so we could expand our living space outward, which is really just a nice way of saying we wanted to be able to kick the boys outside when they are making us parents pull our hair out. Either way, if all goes well we should have a playset up by the end of the week.

Chocolate, candy eggs, swings & slides -- wouldn't it be great to be a kid again?

Cheers!

Politico Tuesday

Barack Obama delivered a speech this morning in response to comments made by his pastor in Chicago that were offensive and misguided. The speech presented Obama with an opportunity to address the comments and the controversy head on. But it also allowed Obama to present his opinion on race relations in our country and his vision for how the problems with race have to be addressed collectively in order to be resolved.

Pundits started dissecting this speech the minute it was over. Paid political consultants from the left and right tried to put their spin on the speech. I think it is best digested simply by listening to what he had to say.

This video is why I believe in this man.

Text:
http://my.barackobama.com/page/community/post/samgrahamfelsen/gGBbrc

Video:

For the African-American community, that path means embracing the burdens of our past without becoming victims of our past. It means continuing to insist on a full measure of justice in every aspect of American life. But it also means binding our particular grievances – for better health care, and better schools, and better jobs - to the larger aspirations of all Americans -- the white woman struggling to break the glass ceiling, the white man whose been laid off, the immigrant trying to feed his family. And it means taking full responsibility for own lives – by demanding more from our fathers, and spending more time with our children, and reading to them, and teaching them that while they may face challenges and discrimination in their own lives, they must never succumb to despair or cynicism; they must always believe that they can write their own destiny.

Ironically, this quintessentially American – and yes, conservative – notion of self-help found frequent expression in Reverend Wright’s sermons. But what my former pastor too often failed to understand is that embarking on a program of self-help also requires a belief that society can change.

The profound mistake of Reverend Wright’s sermons is not that he spoke about racism in our society. It’s that he spoke as if our society was static; as if no progress has been made; as if this country – a country that has made it possible for one of his own members to run for the highest office in the land and build a coalition of white and black; Latino and Asian, rich and poor, young and old -- is still irrevocably bound to a tragic past. But what we know -- what we have seen – is that America can change. That is true genius of this nation. What we have already achieved gives us hope – the audacity to hope – for what we can and must achieve tomorrow.

In the white community, the path to a more perfect union means acknowledging that what ails the African-American community does not just exist in the minds of black people; that the legacy of discrimination - and current incidents of discrimination, while less overt than in the past - are real and must be addressed. Not just with words, but with deeds – by investing in our schools and our communities; by enforcing our civil rights laws and ensuring fairness in our criminal justice system; by providing this generation with ladders of opportunity that were unavailable for previous generations. It requires all Americans to realize that your dreams do not have to come at the expense of my dreams; that investing in the health, welfare, and education of black and brown and white children will ultimately help all of America prosper.

In the end, then, what is called for is nothing more, and nothing less, than what all the world’s great religions demand – that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

Friday

Tess has turned it around a bit over the past day. She is still congested and has thrown up a few times due to the coughing fits. But yesterday her appetite caught up with her as she ate nearly every hour. In a related story Amy has been very busy trying to keep up with a hungry baby.

On the toddler front Gus has started voicing his frustrations with us the past couple of days instead of acting out with his renowned tantrums.

"I am very, very, very, very frustrated at you, Dad!" has been more commonplace around our house.

Sometimes "Dad" is substituted with "Mom." Nevertheless his more rational approach to dealing with his frustrations is a welcome change as we can try to talk to him about his actions rather than trying to talk him off the ledge of frustration. Of course he still has his moments, but there are signs of progress.

On the "humorous arguments when you're a dead-tired parent of young children" front, Amy & I had a few gems this week over who was more tired. In other words, about absolutely nothing. When you're whipped from the day and folding laundry at midnight some tiny molehills just seem like enormous mountains. Some advice for future dads out there that may read this blog: Don't ever try to make the argument to your wife that even though you are the one that wakes up to corral boys to get them dressed, eat their breakfast, stop hitting each other, brush their teeth and go to school that your job is somehow more difficult than your wife's, who is getting up at 4:00am to nurse an infant. Just don't do it. It's a loser argument. Trust me.

This weekend promises to be a basketball weekend as the SEC and ACC tournaments are in full swing. Selection Sunday is a couple of days away where my beloved Cats find out their fate. I am hopeful that their strong finish in the SEC has earned them a bid. That San Diego loss doesn't look as bad now that the Torreros won their league tournament over Gonzaga the other night.

Finally, we have really noticed as little Tess develops that she resembles Owen when he was a baby. Her features -- especially those intense, glaring eyes and her mouth -- are so similar that we are taken aback sometimes. Check this one out.


Have a great weekend everybody. Cheers!

Random Notes

Wednesday tidbits....

• Tess has regressed as she has not been able to keep any milk down all day. As soon as she finishes nursing she begins coughing and spits it all back up. The doctor told Amy to keep a watchful eye on her for the rest of the day and to follow up with them tomorrow. Amy & I thought she was getting better as she ate really well yesterday without incidents. We are going to crank up the trusty vaporizer to try to loosen any congestion that is in her chest. It is awful having a sick infant. As many hurdles as we had to overcome with the boys being premature, I don't recall a time this early when they were sick. We trudge onward...



• Barack Obama won Wyoming over the weekend, Mississippi yesterday, and when all the caucus delegates were finally counted, Texas back on March 4. Obama won't win Pennsylvania at the end of April, but I don't think it will matter as his delegate lead is insurmountable with the remaining contests. Hillary Clinton will claim that she should be the nominee because she can win the big states like California, New York, Ohio, Tex.... er, Florida (as long as no one campaigns there), and Michigan (as long as no one else is on the ballot). As for having the audacity to suggest that Obama should be her vice president, the Illinois senator put Hillary in her place this week with this speech.



• March Madness is nearly here as conference tournaments are going on this week. My tradition of taking vacation days to watch the games won't happen this year. Young children have a way of prioritizing themselves higher on the list. But that's ok. I am just thrilled that my Cats should get an NCAA tournament bid with their turnaround season, despite losing their best player in freshman phenom Patrick Patterson.



• Looks like that $4,300 investment for a roll in the hay with a high-priced call girl will get you more than you bargained for. For starters, a disgraced resignation and the obligatory presser photo with the disgraced wife in stand-by-your-man mode. My first thought wasn't, "Oh, just another politician caught with his pants down." It was, "$4,300 for a call girl???"
  



• My cousin Brooke has started a great blog detailing the lives of the Barretts (husband Geoff and daughter Gabi). Great to have Celebrate Everyday added to the blogroll.



• Finally, this is perhaps the oddest story I've read in a long, long time. (Hat tip to my buddy Scott for finding this oddity)

"Woman sits on boyfriend's toilet for 2 years" http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23595533/