Crazy cousins.

We are so happy to have Aunt Briana and Cousin Dalton visiting this weekend. Luke and Reid adore Dalton and love entertaining him ... and likewise, Dalton is always so intrigued by the antics of his big cousins. These cousins sure have fun together!

Dalton gets ready to show off his army-crawl skills!

Paws to Read.

Our local library offers a program called Paws to Read where children can read books to dogs. Our boys both love dogs even though we don't have a four-legged furry family member of our own. At today's reading time, Luke "read" two of his favorite books to Sequoia (pictured here). The literary choices included Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Goodnight Moon. (Side note: Luke can't really read yet but he's heard these favorites so many times he has them memorized.) Reid enjoyed petting Sequoia during the storytime and only had to be reminded a few times to not pull out ALL the dog's hair.

Sweet as Shuga.

This evening the Junior League Provisional Class had another fun-filled evening on a bus tour to the different groups who received Junior League assistance to get started, including the Ronald McDonald House and CASA (which just happens to be Kappa Alpha Theta's philanthropy, too ... talk about paths crossing!) It was great learning more about these non-profits in the Colorado Springs community. Afterward, we met at a hip, eclectic restaurant downtown called Shuga's to grab a bite to eat. Great food and amazing iced tea. A fun night out with the JL gals!

P is for park.

Today we ventured out to one of our favorite parks, which has a Charlotte's Web theme and an amazing view of the mountains. What better way to play the day away! Reid has mastered climbing the ladders, and Luke loves to zip around on his scooter.

Tunnel vision.

Reid hitches a ride on Wilbur.

The boys love to swing high and fly like Superman with a little help from Superdad.

Saturday afternoon adventure.

This afternoon the Leahy crew headed to Denver. We then decided to take off on a little road trip adventure to the mountains with Mimi and Papa.

Our First Destination: The Jefferson County Open Space right outside Pine. These pictures say it all ... we enjoyed the fresh air, mountain stream, and gorgeous scenery.

Luke loved wading around in the water. Guess he didn't care that it was freezing cold.








Reid loved the stream, too. He enjoyed digging around with this stick ... and trying his best to get all wet.





Even Mom took a wade.








After the stream we walked up to the lake. Well, some people walked; some people just hitched a ride.








Destination #2: Some of Jami's Junior League friends had been talking about this unique restaurant right outside Pine that has been around forever and is a small gem in the rough of the Colorado terrain. It's name is a funny one ... the Bucksnort Saloon. After winding several miles on a narrow dirt road, we reached what resembled a village of small mountain dwellings somehow anchored into the side of the mountain carefully so as to not fall in the creek below. In the midst of it all was the Bucksnort Saloon. We sipped Antler Ale, ate some great burgers, and soaked up the character of the establishment and this quaint little area.


The Bucksnort Saloon -- off the beaten path but well worth the experience!

Blondies at the Bucksnort.

As we headed home, we saw some pretty amazing sights as we took the scenic route. Several years ago, a wildfire significantly damaged the area and the toll was devastating to see even today. We also were "wildlife watchers" and spotted 4 elk ... then 4 deer ... then 2 more elk. So incredible to see up close!

Let's go fly a kite.

Our evenings tend to get a little windy, so we've enjoyed flying our lizard kite lately.

Giddy Up!

Today's field trip was to Castle Rock, which is about 30 minutes north. The only claim to fame that we've known to date about Castle Rock is the fantastic outlet mall there, but we figured there must be something more to the downtown area. So we set out on our excursion, and Mimi and Papa met us, too. We found Downtown Castle Rock to be a charming little place with shops, antiques, and a great lunch place called Pegasus. It also has a strong equine influence. Here are the boys horsing around...

Luke attempts to make the horses go faster, while Reid is just trying to avoid being bucked off.

Reid holds onto the reins, while Luke holds onto the Reid.

Stylin'.

Reid has decided he likes to wear his footed pajamas and tennis shoes. What a style icon and trendsetter! This will come in handy when he's out for a jog and then gets tired and needs a nap.

Vintage Camping.

Here's a fun story for you. Jami's parents have owned a vintage 1967 Airstream RV for close to 30 years. But for the last 20 or so, it has not been used too often (except for that summer when Jami was entering 6th grade when we were moving from Horton to Hiawatha ... it was our temporary residence by the Horton Lake ... great memories!) Anyway, for many years, it's been stored in a barn in Kansas. Just recently, the Airstream has resurfaced and is in the process of getting a makeover. Jim has been working diligently on the RV to scrub, clean, reupholster, recarpet, etc. to prep it for the upcoming summer months. Can't you just picture how much fun Luke and Reid will have in Papa's camper! Fun times are ahead.

The other part of the recent Airstream adventures has been getting to know more about the "culture" of those who own these unique silver campers. This past weekend, Jim and Jami attended the Wally Byam Caravan Club International meeting (Wally Byam is the founder of Airstream). The meeting was held in Colorado Springs. The club focuses on upcoming rallies, repair assistance, and story sharing. Jim even won the door prize ... this lovely banner to hang on the Airstream when out camping.

Stay tuned for more "vintage camping" adventures...

GlowGolf.

Tonight we ventured out for a Family Night Out. The destination was our local Chapel Hills Mall for some GlowGolf. (Think minigolf in the dark with blacklights and lots of neon things.) The outing was humorous to watch how Luke & Reid "play" mini golf. Luke likes to skip to the next hole before he's ever even finished the current hole. Reid likes to climb in and on the "obstacles" ... and he also likes to jump in with other groups and walk around while they're putting. We didn't keep score, but Jami did win a free game at the end! Guess we'll be headed back again sometime soon.

An example of how Reid likes to REALLY check out the course. Yes, he's crawling through the bridge.

The putting pros.

Lunch bunch.

The crew dines at Adam's Mountain Cafe in Manitou Springs.

We enjoyed a family day out to explore Manitou Springs yesterday. Our first stop was lunch at Adam's Mountain Cafe for some healthy, wholesome grub. Afterward, we browsed the nearby shops, and the boys enjoyed playing at the arcade.

Bicycle built for two ... Reid & Papa.

Celebrating six-tea five.

Today was one surprise after another for Mimi Dixie as we celebrated her 65th birthday! First, she enjoyed a surprise visit from Briana, Craig, and Dalton! Then the ladies slipped away to a surprise birthday tea and luncheon at Serendipi-Tea Shoppe in Downtown Littleton. Donning lovely hats, we enjoyed lunching with some of Mom's close friends and sharing fun stories while sipping black currant and chai tea. We finished up with lemon birthday cake ... ooh, la, la! What a treat it was to celebrate her special day!

Hats off to turning 65!

Man overboard.

Today, Jami and the boys journeyed to Denver for an overnight visit with Mimi and Papa. This afternoon's agenda included a trip to a community center in Lakewood where they might have the coolest indoor pool for kids EVER. Anchored in the 3 ft. area is a huge pirate ship with spouts, slides, tunnels, nets, etc. At first both Luke and Reid seemed a little timid about getting in the water. They are both fish in the pool, but after a hiatus of several months, it takes a little time to get their fins back before they feel comfortable in the water again. By the end of our swim, Luke even went down the big-kid tube slide with Papa ... although Luke wasn't keen on the fact that he ended up underwater at the end. Reid was walking all over the shallow end, swimming with Papa, and splashing down the kiddie slide with Luke (and help from Jami).

Look out ... man overboard!

Simple Saturday.

Dad and his boys.

Today, the Leahy crew enjoyed a laidback Saturday. Nothing official on the calendar but lots of fun to be had! We spent much time outdoors ... running errands, going to the park, cleaning the car, playing soccer, going to a different park. Yes, Luke and Reid have their "errands" also, which involve testing out different swingsets and slides. Ha!

Mom & Luke slide side-by-side.

Spring Break: Part 2.

Leahy Spring Break '08 has continued in full swing. Wednesday and Thursday were both filled with park outings. Since some nasty sleet/snow set in on Friday, we had to take the fun indoors. Today we met a Junior League friend Sharon and her 3 boys at an open gym session at ArtSports. This place was like nothing we've seen before ... AMAZING! The entire gym floor was a series of trampolines with several foam pits. Luke and his new friend Jack had a ball tumbling, jumping, swinging, diving ... you name it! Reid and the twins Sam and Ty just enjoyed exploring the gym floor, running everywhere, and crawling around in the foam pit. Below is a video of Tarzan Luke swinging over the foam pit.

Spring Break.

Luke has Spring Break this week, so he's enjoying some time off from school and extra time with the family. The weather has been gorgeous here, so we're taking full advantage with lots of outdoor activities.

Spring Break / Day 1:
Luke spent Sunday night at Mimi and Papa's, and Jami and Reid joined the crew in Denver on Monday. Luke got a glowing report from his grandparents ... guess he'll be coming back for another overnight again sometime. Also on Monday's agenda was park time.



Reid helps Papa raise the training wheels on Luke's bike.



Luke jets home from the park.






Spring Break / Day 2:
We headed to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo ... along with the rest of Colorado Springs. The zoo WAS a zoo with all the people there! We waited 30 minutes to get a parking spot, but it was well worth the wait as we got to use our zoo membership for the first time, an Easter gift from the Nelson grandparents. The giraffe exhibit was our favorite, and the bird house was super smelly (we might have to bypass that one next time!) What better way to spend the day than with our animal friends!


Luke feeds this giraffe a cracker. He was pretty brave. Reid was content just watching Luke take the risk of getting his fingers licked.

The boys enjoyed time at the zoo playground ... and climbing on this metal bug. It's not everyday a bug is the same size as you ... thank goodness!

Easter Dinner.

This morning we headed to Mass and then hosted Easter dinner with all the trimmings. Mimi & Papa joined us for the festivities, too. The menu included Mediterranean lamb chops, lemon oregano potatoes, asparagus with parmesan and pine nuts, walnut pesto stuffed mushrooms, and bananas foster for dessert! Afterward Luke made the trek back to Denver with Mimi and Papa for an overnight visit to kick off his Spring Break!

Hippity Hop.

The Easter Bunny wasn't the only one hopping around this Easter Sunday. Reid figured out how to jump this morning! He doesn't have a lot of hangtime, but he's sure got the motion down. Check out the video. Happy hopping.

A-hunting we will go.

Kicking off the Easter weekend with an egg hunt in Black Forest.

This morning we took a family outing to Black Forest for their community Easter egg hunt. It was advertised as a "free-ranging" egg hunt. Hmmmm ... how intriguing! After the boys steered clear of the Easter Bunny once again and we checked out the ambulances and fire trucks (courtesy of the event sponsors -- the Black Forest Fire Department), we tromped around in the woods and gathered a few eggs for the boys' baskets. This Easter outing was topped off with a spring snow falling during our egg hunt ... and the boys crying because they were cold!

From the mouths of babes.

Perhaps it's time for another post about funny Luke & Reid-isms.

Luke has developed a habit when watching TV, thanks to those toy-makers and their subliminal messages in commercials (okay, just kidding). As he's watching his morning kiddo shows and eating his Daddy's cereal, he will ask the following question in response to every commercial that comes on TV: "Mommy, can I have that TOYYYYY?" He's not a greedy kid, but he just always asks ... for the heck of it perhaps. Why not?! The good thing is that he never holds us to actually buying it for him and he seems to forget that he's ever asked us, so we've just started answering him simply with, "Yes, Luke." He goes on and and then another commercial pops on the tube ... same story. The kicker is that regardless of where you are in the house you MUST answer him if he asks about the toy on TV ... or else he starts screaming, "CAN I HAVE THAT TOYYYYY???" until you answer with the obligatory "yes." You can be far away upstairs in the other corner of the house and hear him yelling and think he's hurt. Nope. Toy on TV. "Yes, Luke, you can have that toy."

Reid's language continues to develop and his signing is in full force, too. He has become quite emphatic when it comes to signing "more" and "please" particularly when it pertains to requesting a drink. Today, he dug through the trash can, pulled out the empty milk carton, brought it over to Mom, plunked it on the table, and began motioning with moves rivaling a 3rd base coach. If you can do babysigns in bold type, he'd be saying "MORE PLEASE NOW!!" Reid also likes to play a funny game by insisting on calling Jami "dada." Reid clearly knows the difference, but he's quite a little tease and gets a funny smirk when he says it. Of course, if he's in dire need of something, he's quite capable of saying, "Maaamaaa." Funny kid.

Egg mania.

Luke & Scott showcase their egg-cellent artistic talents!

Dear Spring...

Dear Spring:
We've not formally met because you didn't visit us really at all when we lived in Arizona. People talked about you, but we really got to know your sister Summer. Whew! Does she ever have a hot temper! We have heard great things about you, so let's hope you live up to your reputation with your green grass and blooming flowers. You seem to be a little indecisive sometimes with snow one day and sunshine the next, but that definitely keeps things hoppin'. We are just glad to have you around finally so we can venture out to the park, even on your gusty days. We look forward to many great days ahead with you, Spring.
Hugs,
Luke & Reid
Photos: The boys enjoy a spring day at the park in Palmer Lake.

St. Pat's with the Provisional Class.

Tonight Jami's Provisional Class from Junior League gathered together for a shamrockin' good time! We met downtown for a scavenger hunt taking us through some of the well-known establishments of Downtown Colorado Springs. We certainly had a fun time decked out in green and celebrating St. Pat's with the provisionals!

The Junior League Provisional Class on St. Patty's Day.

Luck be a Leahy.

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2008
from the Leahy Leprechauns!

Kids in the Kitchen.

All smiles at the registration table.

This morning Jami volunteered for her first big Junior League event called Kids in the Kitchen. The event focused on teaching kids about healthy eating and exercise. It was fun getting to know other provisional and active Junior Leaguers and seeing the kids run around in their chef hats!

Cereality.

This afternoon we had one of those 5-minute scenarios that truly illustrates the humor and dynamics of life with two young boys. Before viewing the series of photos below, you should be aware of the following...

• We have a rule (it's a joke) that both boys cannot be crying at the same time. Only one at a time. So if your brother is crying ... wait your turn.
• We should expect a personal thank you letter from the people at General Mills for the umpteen boxes of Wheat Chex we purchase each month. The boys love eating cereal (yes, the same kind over and over again) as much as Scott does ... so much so Wheat Chex is known in our house as "Daddy's Cereal." Jami has gotten some strange looks at the store when buying 5 boxes of Wheat Chex. Yes, the people in my house like it THAT much.
• When eating Wheat Chex, thou shalt not covet thy brother's bowl. Eat your own.

"Hmmm... Wonder if Luke cares if I sneak a bite? Mom gave me Cheerios, not Wheat Chex. NOT what I really wanted. Oh, Luke won't mind..."

"Uh-oh. That plan backfired. Luke's upset now! Maybe if I cry, too, Mom will give me my own bowl."

Problem solved. Eating peacefully in unison.

Tuesday, Wednesday, Fursday.

Bugs.

Bugs. We've been bombarded by bugs for sometime now. And not insects, but illnesses. Most of February we battled some version or another of a respiratory bug ... all of us ... at different times. So when March came, we hoped for a fresh new month of health and wellness. Nope. It roared in like a lion. Jami ended up with next-to-strep throat. But the grand finale (at least we hope it's the end) was both Luke and Reid coming down with the stomach flu at the same time. The past several days have been spent at home trying to nurse them back to health, taking naps, and drinking lots of clear fluids ... oh, and spraying a lot of Lysol.

Sending germ-free hugs your way with hope that you have avoided at least one strain of the winter flu bug...

Rare photo opp.

It's not every day we are able to catch both boys smiling ... and looking at the camera ... and dressed nicely. Too cute! Reid also shared another new word with us while taking this picture: "Cheese!"

Springtime in the Springs.

We have been advised that springtime in Colorado can result in some crazy weather, and we got our first taste of it this weekend.

Saturday -- Almost 70 degrees & short-sleeve weather.

Sunday -- A blizzard all day, yielding several inches of snow.

Monday & Tuesday -- Sunny skies and temps in the 50s. Goodbye, snow.

The warmer temps did provide great conditions for making this snowman. Luke named him "Ned." We got a snowman-making kit from Paul, Juli, Sawyer & Stratton ... so we have the best dressed snowman on the block!

Self-feeder.

Reid thinks yogurt is delicious to eat ... and even better to wear!

Mr. Personality.

Now that Reid is 16 months, his personality is blooming and provides many a laugh these days. Here are some highlights...

• When Reid wakes up in the morning, he is crabby. Definitely not a morning person. This usually doesn't subside until he has "baa-baa" in hand. If you don't get his morning beverage quickly enough, his volume slowly increases to let you know his opinion of your delayed efforts.
• He enjoys mini-pancakes as his favorite breakfast item. However, he is very careful to take one (and only one) bite out of each mini-pancake. Perhaps he thinks each one will have a different flavor?!
• We are fairly certain that someday Reid will join the elite list of individuals climbing Mt. Everest. He can scale ANYTHING. If you leave the chairs pulled out of the dining room table, guess who's proudly dancing on the tabletop? If you leave the door to the office open, he somehow maneuvers his way on top of the desk and enjoys some time typing and mousing around on dad's computer. So the moral of the story is we have a lot of doors closed and items strategically placed to deter Reid's mountain-goat-climbing abilities.
• He has quite the "vocal range." He loves to mimic sounds. If you laugh loudly, he will quickly copy your laugh soon after ... and it's often humbling to hear it repeated through Reid's perspective! He also has quite a repertoire of musical selections which he can sing/hum ... Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song, Superman theme song ... yes, we only teach him theme songs.

Jami & Junior League.

One of the most challenging parts of our move was leaving behind our wonderful network of friends in Phoenix. After the holidays, Jami started searching for some ways to get more involved and meet people. She recently joined the Junior League and is a member of the spring provisional class with 25 other new members. This has been a fantastic opportunity with a good mix of volunteer opportunities, chances to explore our new community, and outings to socialize with like-minded women. The group is a great mix of personalities ... stay-at-home moms, career women, outdoor enthusiasts, fashionistas, etc. We always have fun, no matter if we're volunteering or dining out!

Jami & her Junior League small group enjoy sushi at Fujiyama.