Luke & the ladies.

We are fortunate to have tons of children in our neighborhood. This summer the boys have enjoyed getting to know the neighbor kids better, as they all play outside and ride bikes together every day! Across the street and a few houses down is a house of 4 girls ranging in ages from 9 to 2 1/2. The girls seem to like hanging out with Luke, and several times we've had the doorbell ring or opened the garage door to find one of them asking if Luke can come out to play.

Last week the oldest girl rode by on her bike from getting the mail and greeted Luke with a coy smile and "Hiiiiiiii, Lukie." We got a good chuckle that Luke was charming ladies twice his age! Ha!

But the real kicker happened today and was witnessed by both the parents and grandparents sitting in the driveway watching the bikefest in the street. Another one of the sisters (age 4) rode right up to a very unsuspecting Luke and planted a big ol' smooch on him!! His first kiss! Of course, the audience (Mom, Dad, Mimi & Papa) were laughing hysterically as it was obvious Luke was caught a little off guard.

Oh, Luke. The Ladies Man.

Fishing with Papa.

Reid, Luke & Papa fishing at Monument Lake.

Today we embarked on a fishing expedition to Monument Lake. Guess others had this same great idea as the lake was bustling with people fishing, swimmers splashing in the beach area, and a few folks canoeing. While we didn't catch any fish, we did catch 3 crawdads (Luke 1, Jami 2) that were about 6+ inches long. That was exciting enough! Papa soon learned that fishing with the boys is less about catching fish and more about the experience -- watching the boys splash/wade/throw rocks/run/dig in the sand/get wet/etc. Luke was particularly interested in the worms that Papa bought for bait, and he was brave enough to hold one!

A la (shopping) cart.

Parenthood has taught us many valuable lessons ... like it's better to grocery shop alone (even if it that means going at 6 a.m.) than to have to try and keep 2 antsy boys confined within a shopping cart. Alas, there are some instances -- while few and far between -- when it's 1 parent vs. 2 monkeys cruising the grocery aisles. The beloved Car Cart is usually a favorite of the boys at the grocery store because they can drive ... but prefer to practice their Dukes of Hazzard moves getting in and out of the cart everytime it stops. However, our Wal-Mart does not feature this Car Cart. Instead it features THIS, which Jami has lovingly termed "the bus." Don't let its sleek design fool you. It is impossible to maneuver.

The boys have never shown an interest in this cart, until yesterday. Mom needed 3 items, but they NEEDED to ride in this cart. Okay. Fine. Luke sat nicely strapped into the contoured seats. Reid on the other hand wanted nothing to do with this luxury ride. SCREEEAMING as we entered the store, he wanted no part of it. Visual: Mom now carries screeching not-yet-2-year-old while pushing bus with other child seated. After about 10 minutes, Reid decided he would "ride" in the bus, but his interpretation of "ride" is hanging from the handlebar. Wait, more accurately, swinging from the handlebar with glee and shouts of "whee." Why? Because sitting quietly in one's designated seat is too much to ask! After the 5 minute trip turned into 20 long drawn out moments, we finally rounded up the items and hit the checkout stand. Nice Wal-Mart employee comments, "Oh, what busy boys!" So true. Mom smiles with courtesy and scurries (wait, as much as one can scurry while pushing the mammoth bus cart along) out the door while Reid dangles from the handle.

Lesson Learned: Just because the grocery cart has designated seating for small children, that doesn't necessarily make the shopping journey any easier ... but it does provide for good laughs after the frustration wears off!

Peaceful moment.

Not quite 2. Eyes of blue.

Likes to wear jammies and tennis shoes.



Reid wasn't quite ready for bed yet, so he decided to cruise the neighborhood right before bedtime.

Aquarium adventure.

We embarked on an ocean adventure today to the Denver Aquarium. After hearing rave reviews, this destination seemed like a great field trip for this week's Mom School lesson ... "Under the Sea." We walked through aquarium tunnels with fish, turtles, and eels swimming all around us. We learned about sharks and sea cucumbers and starfish. Our trip was made even better by having our friend Mary Fran and one of her friends Marci join us for this outing. Mary Fran has a background in marine biology, so she was a great tour guide by pointing out fish and sharing fun facts along the way!

All smiles as long as the shark stays on the other side of the glass!

Luke gets up close and personal with some sharks.

Reid, Mary Fran & Marci

Come here, stingray! We want to pet you!

Thetas in Miami.

For the past 5 days, Jami has been in Miami with more than 560 other members of Kappa Alpha Theta for Grand Convention 2008. She continues her Theta volunteer work as a District Director of Risk Management advising 16 chapters in Southern California, Arizona, and Nevada (yes, these are very social chapters, too, so she stays busy!) One of the perks of volunteering is occasional travel, and Grand Convention is always a favorite trip! Staying at the fabulous Doral Resort was not bad either, although it was hard to get used to the intense humidity after living in dry climates for so long! The week was a great chance to meet collegiate and alumnae members from all over the United States and Canada and reconnect with many Theta friends through the ages. Another highlight was that one of the chapters in her district -- Omicron Chapter at University of Southern California -- won the Founder's Award for overall excellence among all Theta chapters. It was certainly an exciting week filled with facilitating sessions, reviewing legislation, and having many meetings! Check out the photos below and here: Grand Convention 2008 Slideshow.

The Directors of Risk Management show off their Miami Vice attire for the White Party on Friday night.

On our free afternoon, we attempted to hit the beach ... only problem was the massive thunderstorm!

The final banquet includes a procession by chapter of initiation. The Delta Eta Thetas of Kansas State show off their purple pride!

Jami & Amy Bartel Lingenfelser were in the chapter at the same time. Amy now is the Advisory Board Chair at Duke. It was great to catch up with her!

What fun to reunite with these Phoenix Theta friends Heather, Stacie & Anne!

Hot lava.

Luke. Mom. The Volcano.

This week's "mom school" lesson is focused on volcanoes. What better way to learn about volcanoes than to make one and watch it erupt! We made one volcano and tested 2 different kinds of lava: 1) the traditional baking soda and vinegar combo and 2) Diet Coke and Mentos. We had hoped the latter lava would be a bit more explosive, but not the case. Here's some video of our science experiment with Lava #1. Luke is bubbling over with excitement in this video!

Brotherly love.

Usually, the boys get along fairly well. Sure, they have their occasional squabble over a toy which leaves Reid screeching in disapproval and Luke snickering that once again he's succeeded in pushing his brother's buttons ... but in the last few weeks you can tell they are enjoying being brothers more and more. Reid aspires to do all the things that Luke does, and Luke really gets a kick out of Reid's antics. Together, they make a great pair.

Supermen in the swings. (If you lean forward in the baby swings, you can fly like Superman!)

Luke wanted to try and pull Reid with HIS bike. We weren't sure he could do it, but the two were off and rolling. Luke was all too excited to show off to his friends that he could pull Reid in the trailer. Reid was all too excited to just be going for a ride.

The Rookie.

Luke has been really interested in baseball lately. This afternoon we ventured out for a little wiffleball game in the park. Check out the rookie in action! (The mountains at sunset make a nice backdrop.)

Father's Day Camping Trip.

What better way to celebrate Dad's Day than with a camping trip! Mimi, Papa & the Leahy 4 headed out for a camping adventure this weekend. Our camping destination (after learning our first few choices were all booked) was the Castle Rock Campground. It was a mere 20 minutes from our house and featured fantastic amenities like a pool, teepees, hayrack ride, and more! Half the crew slept in the Airstream (Mimi, Papa & Luke), and the rest slept in the tent (Scott, Jami & Reid). One highlight of the weekend ... the Renaissance Festival was located nearby, so the campground was also the weekend home to MANY people working there. Yes, we had our own entertainment watching folks wander by our campsite in full Renaissance Festival attire. Click on this link for an album with more pics: Father's Day '08 Camping Trip.

Scott & the boys in a teepee

Mini mountain biker Luke

Rowdy Reid at bedtime. What a night owl!

Banner Playdate.

Once upon a time, there were 3 gals who used to work in public relations for Banner Health... and today they all met for a playdate at Monument Valley Park! Jami used to work with Torie (who lives in Colorado Springs) and Nancy (who was here from Phoenix visiting family). It was great to see Nancy and her two kids Sam and Drew. What fun to catch up on several years since our hospital days until now!

Fishing expedition.

The Leahy fishermen in pursuit of a whopper!

This week's summer learning lesson (AKA "Mom School" as Luke calls it) involves the theme of camping, which leads up to a Father's Day camping trip planned for this next weekend. So Mom and the boys ventured out to Monument Lake for a little fishing trip today. We didn't have any bites, but we did learn a bit more about crawdads and the phenomenon that boys cannot avoid stepping in water ... even cold water! Luke used his fishing pole, and Reid thought he was fishing even though we just gave him a long stick.

New wheels.

This weekend, Jami found a bike for Scott at a garage sale. It is an early Father's Day present because she thought his old bike from college (yes, COLLEGE!!) needed to be upgraded since it was stuck on the hardest gear and was impossible to ride up the steep hills in our neighborhood. We tuned up the bike (which was a steal of a deal) and it rides like a dream. With his new wheels, Scott has decided to bike to work on occasion now that the weather is oh-so-nice! Here he is ready to take off on the 3.5 mile trek to RT Logic. It's a win-win for Scott ... save on fuel costs and incorporate a workout!

Line of Leahys.

When watching TV in the morning, it is important that you claim your spot on the "dad chair."

Birthday buddies.

This afternoon Luke & Reid helped their pals Sam & Ty celebrate their 2nd birthdays at My Gym with a Blue's Clues inspired party.

The birthday boys in the ball pit.

Jami gives Reid a rock-n-roll ride!

Reid LOVED driving this car ... especially when it was dad-powered.

Wheeeee ... Luke rides the zipline!

One small step for mankind....

Reid has mastered some new tricks at the park ... like climbing up a curved ladder. He's a brave little guy, and we have to watch that his courage doesn't get too far ahead of him. Check out the video below featuring special guest and stunt spotter Papa.

Biker boy.

Since school's been out, Luke has been spending a lot of time cruising up and down the street on his bike with the older neighborhood kids. His training wheels have been a good safety net, but in the past week, we've noticed those wheels barely touching the ground and his balance improving. Several times we've asked him about going without his training wheels, but he was very insistent about keeping them on his bike. Today Mom convinced him to just give it a TRY ... and if he didn't like it, the training wheels could go right back on. He was off and rolling in no time with no looking back. Major milestone ahead ... check out the video below! (Scroll down and click on the play button. The video blends in with the blog background.)

Yes, he has already mastered the stand-up-and-pedal technique and the go-very-fast-and-make-Mom-fret skill.

Take me out to the ballgame.

Tonight the Leahy crew ventured out to cheer on the SkySox, the city's AAA Minor League affiliate for the Rockies. The ballpark offers $2 Tuesdays, so tickets and parking were a deal! Luke enjoyed keeping tabs on the mascot Sox the Fox, and Reid was really observant of all the sights and sounds ... letting out a "whoa!" every now and then.

This baseball outing also goes along with some summer learning that Jami has planned for the boys. Each week has a different theme; this week the boys have baseball themed activities and lessons. What a fun field trip for the whole family!

Fountain of Youth.

The gorgeous 80 degree weather lured us out and about today with a destination of Downtown Colorado Springs to visit the Uncle Wilber Fountain. This fountain mixes art with play in a whimsical statue that rises up with catchy music while squirting water. (If you can't tell from the photo, it's a man playing a tuba.) Kids and parents were splashing about the base of the fountain in the pop jets. Luke & Reid were a bit reserved at first, but then they warmed up.

Watching from the sidelines & checking out the scene.