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!