Wednesday, April 30, 2008

To sleep or not to sleep...

This is a bit of a random post, but this one is dedicated to sleeping (or NOT sleeping in the Leahy boys' case because they are busy little monkeys.) The first video was a tagteam effort of the boys. Luke scaled the crib. Then Reid tried to climb in (still too short), so big brother hoisted little brother over the railing so they could do this...



Luke was thrilled this week that the part to fix his top bunk arrived. He's on Cloud 9 sleeping sky high in his room.


It is a rare occasion when Reid will sit still these days, let alone fall asleep by Mom. Ahhh ... peaceful zzzzz's and treasured moments.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Mimi & Co. at Mimi's Cafe

Today's adventures with the family landed us at Mimi's Cafe for dinner. The kiddos were good entertainment as always, and it was nice to all be together before Briana and Dalton head back tomorrow.

Dalton and Briana are all smiles!


The boys try to test if this high chair can hold 3 kids.


All in the family. (Notice Dalton is being sneaky and is trying to pull Grandma's hair!)



Saturday, April 26, 2008

Royal treatment.

In the mail this week, Scott received a fun gift from his good friend Will Long. You see they are both HUGE Royals fans. Have been ... and always will be probably!! Anyway, Will and his wife Raegan recently went to a Royals game, where the promotional giveaway at the game was a powder blue jersey. They arrived 2 hours before game time to be one of the first 20,000 fans who would be granted these fine freebies. Afterward, Will sent one of the jerseys to Scott, who was so surprised!! Not only was it very thoughtful of Will, but it might be the all-time greatest gift ever that Scott's received. (Yes, he loves the Royals THAT much.) Now that this fact is out in the open, any of you KC folks who attend games and get good promo items can feel free to send them to Scott when you are done! Ha! There's been talk that Will and Scott might go to Royals fantasy camp to celebrate turning the Big 4-0, so maybe they can wear their powder blue jerseys then!

Future Royals fans.

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!

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

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.

Monday, April 21, 2008

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!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

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, April 19, 2008

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.

Monday, April 14, 2008

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...

Friday, April 11, 2008

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.

Sunday, April 06, 2008

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.

Saturday, April 05, 2008

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!

Sunday, March 30, 2008

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!

Saturday, March 29, 2008

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.

Friday, March 28, 2008

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.

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

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!

Sunday, March 23, 2008

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!