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.

Fast forward.

The boys love to act like they can drive. Tonight they were both in Scott's car, and we had this glimpse of what our lives might be like in 12 years. Look out world!

Travel by trike.

On a recent visit to Mimi and Papa's house, the boys were quite excited about the new toy Papa had found -- a red retro trike. Reid couldn't quite reach the pedals, so he and Luke took turns pushing one another!

Dinos & donuts.

Today Jami and the boys took a field trip to Woodland Park to visit the Rocky Mountain Dinosaur Resource Center. It was full of great exhibits and informative displays. They even have a "lab" on site where dinosaur bones are cleaned and prepared for exhibits. Afterward we stopped for a treat across the street at the Donut Mill. Nothing beats a day of dinos and donuts!

Weekend at Snow Mountain Ranch.

Winter sleigh ride at Snow Mountain Ranch.

Scott enjoys many perks about his new company -- the latest one being a weekend get-away for all the employees and their families to Snow Mountain Ranch near Winter Park. This weekend we enjoyed 2 nights in a large cabin that housed 8 families including 16 kids. Yes, it was a rowdy good time with most of the kids under the age of 6. Reid was the youngest kiddo in our cabin, but he kept up with the big kids just fine. We cooked meals there and ventured out for a few winter activities (where we also caught up with some other employees and families who were staying in separate cabins). Here are the highlights of our winter weekend with our RT Logic friends.

Jami & Reid brave the tubing hill.

The sleigh ride included a stop for cocoa and roasted marshmallows. Yum!

Luke fed this friendly horse named King an apple.

Interesting trivia: King is the 2nd largest horse on record in the US. He's 23+ hands high and weighs nearly 2400 lbs.

All that & the kitchen sink.

Scott started to do dishes after dinner.

Reid was helping.

Reid climbed in the sink.

He ended up getting wet.

Reid opted for a kitchen-sink bath.

Moral of the story: Dad was in charge.

Mountain out of a molehill.

Our snow has nearly melted except for a small strip in our backyard, which proved to be perfect for sledding this afternoon. Leave it to Luke to make a mountain out of a molehill.