Not much to say tonight, but a few fun pictures to share. John and I both were in need of new photos for our Facebook profiles. John's was a shot of him on the sledding hill with the boys and mine was a picture I love from our Arizona trip last year. Both a bit dated. These are the updates.

After dinner last night we were all playing together when Edward stood up while playing in the tunnel and declared, "Look, I'm a tuba." We thought this was funny enough to run for the camera.
Shortly after that, Daniel climbed up in my lap and John captured this shot:That made it seem possible that I might be able to recapture what I loved about my old photo, so I forced Edward to come join Daniel. Some slight resistance and goofy faces ensued, but we finally captured the shot at the top of this post. Then of course John wanted one too. We didn't think the boys would stand for it, and indeed, there was a bit more goofiness and a lot more wiggling, but we got one he liked too. Mission accomplished.

Next we have what happens when you go from bike helmet to dinner table without a second's pause:


It was "crazy hair day" at school today, but Daniel apparently reserved his craziest look for our dining pleasure. (And a bit of chin jelly from eating his toast vertically rather than holding the bread horizontally and taking bites like a normal person.)

Here he's showing the "cookie" I made today. It's a recipe from our local grocery store magazine that uses an organic cookie mix plus dried cranberries. Not bad--I thought it had an odd texture, possibly due to being gluten-free--but tasted good. The kids liked them and they're quick and easy to make, so a successful experiment.

Hooray for Team Kenyon and all of our sponsors near and far! So far our team has raised more than $2,300 for the March of Dimes! We had an absolutely beautiful morning for our walk on Saturday--cool and sunny and perfectly dry. This picture was hastily assembled and snapped as the walkers started moving forward. Needless to say, we fell to the rear of the pack pretty quickly. We had arranged ahead of time for Grandma and Grandpa to meet us at the downtown playground and stay there with the boys until we called to say we were nearing the end of the route. We didn't think the boys would be patient with the stroller for the full route and, frankly, didn't want to push them for six miles! It worked really well. When we called they were just packing the stroller and the boys into their car to come meet us at the finish line for treats and more park time. Some friends of ours who usually walk with us, but didn't this year as they just welcomed their third child 10 days ago also met us at the end so that was a lovely surprise.For once we wished we lived on a slightly busier street since we had this yard sign for the first time and hoped it would attract some attention. Actually our neighbors commented on it on Sunday, noting that they'd missed the event but asking us to keep them posted for next year. Always room for more!
It was a little too sunny for this shot, but you get the idea.

The best line of the day came from Edward: "Why is it called March of Dimes when it's not March?" He is very tuned into the calendar these days and was eagerly anticipating his first field trip, which he knew was April 19. He's been checking our home calendar daily, sometimes multiple times per day to see how close it was getting. His class took a school bus to a local theater to see a performance of Slim Goodbody, which coincided with their month-long unit on the human body. Edward enjoyed the show ("He wore clothes that were like the inside of your body!") but it will come as no surprise to learn that the highlight was the four-block ride on the school bus. Four blocks?! Yes, they could have walked, but the schools regulations (from corporate headquarters) prohibit crossing streets with the kids.

This is a favorite afternoon activity. Behind the boys is a bush that last summer was about three times too large for the spot it was planted. We moved it on Sunday and are hoping it will survive and fill an area of the yard that needs some TLC. The boys are not exactly "helpful" with yard work, but at least now can entertain themselves while we tackle some projects around the yard.

This picture was taken before 8 a.m. mass on Easter. Are you impressed? Well, we did cut of the top of John's head, but it was the best we could do with limited time and personnel. By the time Grandma and Grandpa came over later in the morning, we were all back to grungy clothes.When John got Daniel dressed, his shirt was tucked in. This lasted about 2.5 seconds. I didn't even bother with Edward's. I think they look dapper anyway, though I realized later that Daniel's shoes were at least half if not a whole size too small. Oops! Put 'em away for a friend and dug out the next size from the closet stash.

This represents much of what the Easter Bunny deposited while we were at church. The only thing missing are the new swim suits in the sand/water buckets that served as baskets. When it came to hunting the eggs, the wheelbarrow was a handy conveyance. I was a little afraid there would be too much fighting over the lawn mower and wondered whether two mowers would be better than one mower and one wheelbarrow. So far they've been pretty good about taking turns. We'll see what happens when these are transferred to outside.

The biggest news from Easter weekend however, was Daniel's potty training success. We decided to stay home Friday and try the big leap from diapers to underwear with three days to practice before sending him to daycare this way. He was enthusiastic about the underwear until his first two pees of the day soaked him and he realized how unpleasant that was. Then he refused to be redressed. After a calming down period he tried again and had some good successes (with lots of cheering and M&M rewards) through the day (diaper for sleeping.) Saturday was a little better and the last thing he did before going to bed was announce without prompting that he had to go potty, took himself to the bathroom and accomplished the task (with directional assistance from Mom.) Sunday he was dry all day, including through church. He wore a Pull-up because who knew what would happen and Easter Mass is a BAD place for an accident. About mid-way through Mass he was squirmy and I could tell a break from the pew would be beneficial so I asked if he had to go potty. He said Yes, so we made our way to the farthest corner of the church basement where the bathrooms are. I had no expectation that he would go, but I held him up with his butt balanced on my knee and sure enough, he peed.

Now he'll basically pee any time we ask him and will occasionally announce his own intentions to go. We're still working on the other end of things and had one truly atrocious disaster, the details of which I will spare the blog audience. But all in all, I'm amazed at how quickly he caught on. I guess having an older brother to watch really does flatten the learning curve.


These are some outdoor shots from our one 80-degree day last week. The driveway was covered in chalk art, but then it rained for a few days and got colder. We're expecting another warm up this weekend and lots of sunshine. Hooray for spring. Hoping that forecast will hold through the week. We're just one week away from the Iowa City March for Babies, and it's so much more pleasant in dry weather. Not too late to donate or to sign up to walk! We're closing in on our $2,000 team fundraising goal thanks to many supportive friends and family members. Thanks to all!
This is what happens when Old Navy has an extra discount on only one style of boys pajamas. I actually have done very little "matching" shopping for the boys, but these were $5 and other styles were $9.50, so stripes all around!

News Flash: Major Aquatic Breakthrough in North Liberty, Iowa

This afternoon we headed to the indoor pool in a neighboring town, a favorite because it has a zero-depth entry for the kids. We had braved the cold a few times during the winter for an afternoon of exhausting activity, but hadn't been there recently. As we were getting ready to leave, Edward suddenly decided he was ready to put his face all the way in the water. He bravely plugged his nose, took a deep breath, and then sank under the surface, splashing up a microsecond later. There was exuberant cheering and high-fiving and he did it three more times before we decided it was really time to leave. He and John went to change, and I took Daniel. John told me later that after they'd dried themselves and were about ready to change back to street clothes, Edward said, "I want to go under water again." Somewhat reluctantly, but not wanting to do anything to dampen (ha ha) the enthusiasm, John trekked back to the pool and let him do it a few more times.

Edward has been extremely tentative about even drops of water touching his face. When he took lessons, he only went as far as bending at the waist to dip his face (really, just the forehead, nose tip and lips) in the water. He also would not jump into the pool unless we were physically holding his arms or body. That changed today too, and I think a little peer pressure was involved. Daniel actually has no fear. Of anything it seems. He accidentally dunked himself two or three times today in the pool and though he was brought up sputtering a bit, didn't seem too bothered overall. He started jumping to my open arms, and when Edward saw this he decided he needed to join the action. He was still hesitant at the edge of the pool though until John told him, "Edward, it's just like jumping off the couch into soft pillows. The water is soft like that." That did the trick.

And as if all these pool triumphs were not enough, Daniel ended the outing by sitting on the lockeroom toilet to pee. Much to my surprise, it appears we are heading into the toilet training phase. I was expecting this to be a summer activity, with Daniel running around without pants, but he's been announcing his wet diapers as soon as they happen and wanting them changed. He also occasionally wakes up dry from a nap or even in the morning so we've had him try the bathroom at those times with some success. Edward is a great cheering section and Daniel loves everyone jumping up and down saying, "Yay, Daniel." Edward told him about getting an M&M for peeing in the potty and this is a huge hit. However, soon after Daniel's first reward, Edward took himself to the bathroom and then demanded his M&M. We discussed that he is big enough that he doesn't need a treat every time, but decided he could have one when Daniel got his if he helped us teach Daniel by cheering and encouraging.

Side note: we continue to be amazed that neither boy questions the "one M&M" ration.

We attended an Easter egg hunt on Saturday morning put on by one of the local sororities. I think the kids had fun, but it was a bit tough to navigate with kids of all ages participating. Our kids each got one or two eggs with a few treats inside though so they were happy. We discussed with the friends we went with the idea of getting a bunch of our friends' families together next year for a more focused backyard hunt. We'll see if we actually remember to make that happen.

We enjoyed a fun visit with Gram and PopPop Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Edward forgave Gram for leaving the heaping pile of books from her own library in the back seat of her car in Evanston and instead enjoyed sharing a few new books from our own collection and a recent library visit.

This last photo is Edward's latest adaptation of a hodge podge of "toys" in our play area. These are actually an old set of canisters that I got at Goodwill for my Iowa City apartment before John and I were married. They are metal. LOUD. Our kids' "kitchen" toys also include a couple of old muffin tins and various mixing spoons of different shapes and sizes. Before Edward deigned to sit down at his new drum set, he insisted that he find the two matching white spoons. Not just any old spoon would do for a drumstick. He also, for unexplained reasons, decided to put on his "Mama Bear" costume from his class play last month.
If this shot is not enough for you, I think you can see this video even if you're not a member of Facebook. If it asks for your login/password and you really want to see it, just send me an email and I'll repost directly to the blog.

Happy St. Patrick's Day from our two favorite leprechauns!

And speaking of these two, we're just one month away from our annual March for Babies, a time to join with other families in celebrating the healthy babies in our lives and remembering those like Will who will be forever babies in our hearts. Our family and friends, near and far, have offered us such amazing support in the five years we've participated in this event. As always we welcome you to join us in person or in spirit. By clicking on the link above you can register as a walker or make a donation to Team Kenyon. Last year we were the sixth highest fundraiser among Iowa City teams!

A few more photos to add to the day's festivities. After our Valentine cookie adventure, we thought we'd go another round with shamrocks. We had to temper some vigorous sprinkle shaking, but got them all done and even managed not to eat them all before the big day.

Spring has sprung! Just when we thought this winter would never end, the rain melted the snow last week and then the sun came out to dry up the mud. Hooray! Of course as hearty Midwesterners, we know that we must still brace ourselves for the possibility of a late March or early April (May?) final blast of the season, but we're soaking in the sun while we can. On Sunday after naps we walked to a park that we generally avoid on summer afternoons because there is no shade. However, that makes it a perfect choice for this time of year--a little warmer and drier than other nearby options. We even ran into another family on the next block who were also on their way there. Their kids are the same ages as ours, but we haven't seen them all winter. Edward had a blast running and chasing with David, who he declared "is my best friend!" Not to diminish, but Edward's "best friend" tends to be whomever he has played with most recently.
Daniel had fun peeking over the edge of the slide and shouting "No tickle!" as John attempted to reach over and administer said tickles as he twisted on down to the bottom.
Edward was very happy to swing and swing, and I finally don't fear that he'll fall off or decide to get down while the swing is at its highest point. Maybe this summer he'll even learn to pump himself.

This afternoon it was even warmer and another day of sun had decreased the swamp factor in our backyard. It was still a little squishy, but we put on our old shoes and went out anyway. Every dirty porch toy came out and they were even asking for others that had been put in deeper storage for the winter. We restricted ourselves just to what was already outside and it was sufficient to fill two hours.
Daniel took the toys in this basket outside one by one, scurrying across the back porch like a little squirrel. Then he heaved the basket itself across the porch and out the door. A few minutes later, I heard him grunting and groaning as he lifted the basket, once again full of all the toys, up the two inch step onto the porch. After that, he settled for pushing it across the porch to its final resting place. Not too long after that, he started the whole process over again, carrying the toys out one by one.
Some hoops.
Defense.
Baseball anyone? Daniel learned to stand "on deck" at the tree after one of Ed's first hits sailed within inches of his head. Ed was admonished to wait until no one was standing in front of him. I have no illusions that this will be the last such incident of the season.

Crocus! These poor flowers are hearty enough to be snowed upon, but did not quite stand up to exploring fingers. We tried to practice "looking with our eyes" but at least one flower was decapitated.
If you click on this picture to see a larger version, you can see the tongue-out determination with which Daniel is pushing this load of rocks.

Last week, we spent a much cooler afternoon outside in winter jackets riding bikes around the block. It's actually more like two square blocks, which is a pretty good distance if you're still unable to manipulate the pedals on your big wheel, as is Daniel's current lot. Ed was charging ahead on his bike, but patiently waited at mid-block and corner for us to catch up. We encountered some mud along the way, which necessitated changing clothes when we got home. I put on shorts as a way to force myself down to the treadmill after the kids' bedtime. Ed thought that was a great idea, and once Ed was in his shorts, Daniel demanded a pair of his own. These were dug out of storage and then he ran around for a few minutes pulling on them trying to get them to cover his legs. He has also worn short sleeve shirts a few days recently to school and I've seen him try to pull the sleeves down after washing his hands.

Even with the active afternoon, there was still enough energy for this post-dinner activity. Needless to say, they slept soundly that night!

OK, a cute story with a caveat: We are not indoctrinating our kids. In fact, we rarely if ever talk politics around them for one simple reason: they ask too many questions. An aside to explain this. After the earthquake in Haiti, Edward had questions (probably brought on by a discussion at school) about what happened to the people whose houses were destroyed. I told him that people would help to rebuild. Like who? he asked. Well, volunteers from our country, people like the Red Cross, and the government there. What's a government? he asks. So, I tried, as simply as possible, to explain representative government to a four year old. I dare say he has a better grasp of it now than most of his fellow citizens.

With that in mind, we don't talk politics. He knows who Obama is, mostly because it was a name and face that was hard to avoid during the campaign (plus, when you're 4, "Obama" is fun to say). So, Edward got a ruler at school today with all of the presidents pictures on it. He showed me tonight, and asked if the last one was Obama (the photos are very small, otherwise I'm sure he would know). I told him it was. Then, to test his memory, I asked if he knew who the president was before Obama. He didn't remember, so I told him it was President Bush.

"He didn't do a very good job, right?" Edward asks.
"Well," I say, surprised and not wanting to tread into this mine field, "what makes you say that?"
"Am I right? He didn't do a very good job?"
"Some people didn't think so. Others did."
"Did you think so?"

Adhering to the rule not to discuss politics or religion in polite company, I'll end our exchange here (though it didn't go much further). I'm not sure what to make of Edward's budding punditry; perhaps he absorbs "The Daily Show" by osmosis when we watch after he goes to bed. Regardless, it is just the latest in a long line of tough questions from him that will only escalate as he learns to grasp more of what goes on around him.

I'll leave you with a couple of cute (and tasteful) photos that Mary got at bathtime tonight:

We have had a very active couple of weeks, with a daycare winter pageant and the start of Edward's gymnastics class as the highlights.

The Apple Tree Winter Wonderland event came first. Both boys have been practicing for this for quite a while. It involves all of the classes in the school doing a short song or skit for the assembled parents. This year's event was so large that it went off site to the Iowa City Public Library. Things were chaotic when we arrived, as one would expect from an event where dozens of kids must be corralled by teachers, dressed up and made to perform. Given that, the event was a smashing success.

Daniel's class was first up, performing a handful of songs, including a song about a mitten that allowed Daniel to wear a large cardboard mitten around his neck. The only photo I could get of this in action had Daniel with his back to the camera, so this shot of him waiting to go on must suffice. They also performed the Iowa Fight Song, during which Daniel (who knows some of the words) stood stoically with a serious look on his face, pumping his fist with determination (see video).

Next up was Edward's class. This was more involved, as they did a skit rather than songs. They performed a version of "The Three Snow Bears," a retelling of "The Three Bears" that is set in the Arctic, with Aloo-ki standing in for Goldilocks. Edward was a Mama Bear (taller kids were Papa Bear, shorter kids were Baby Bear). Because there are so many kids in his class, there were several of each; it was quite amusing. While Edward was one of two mama bears that seemed to remember his lines, his biggest moment came when he saw another child's costume paw on the ground. He stooped to get the paw, then held it up and told his teacher that he had found it. He would not move until he had been acknowledged, thus pausing the skit. She told him to hold onto it, which he did, dutifully, until the skit was over.

The kids came back after all of the songs and skits were done to do more music. Both take a weekly music class called Kindermusik that they really enjoy. They often come home telling us about musical terms or singing new songs. The kids in the Kindermusik program closed the show with some songs. Daniel's group played bells at piano (quiet) and forte (loud) volumes. Then Ed's group showed their new knowledge of the length of notes (which has been shown around the house as he recited "ta ta ti ti ta" over and over. It was late by this point (and Mary's class night), so I got these two sleepyheads home and to bed very quickly.

Gymnastics is a new endeavor for Ed. It's pretty low-key -- he's not on an Olympic track by any stretch -- but it does burn some Saturday morning energy and have some fun, and that's all we're looking for at this point. This was the first week with a teacher, so it was more structured that last week (and thus less energy-burning). He did tumbling, balance beam walking and several jumps from a vault. Meanwhile, Daniel was at the library, which is our usual Saturday morning routine. Daniel isn't jealous, but he does miss his brother ("I want Edward to come to the library") has been a frequent Saturday morning utterance.

One chuckle. When I was bringing them home from the Winter Wonderland event, they were a little punchy. Edward started singing the the "days of the week" song in Spanish (they've been learning this at school. That led to a discussion of names. I asked him what "Edward" is in Spanish. He said "Eduardo." Soon, in their punchy state, they were calling everything "-uardo," as in "Dad-uardo," "Mom-uardo" and Daniel-uardo." This got Daniel's dander up. In true "I'm not, you are" sibling rebuttal form, he said to Edward, "I not wardo, you wardo." I nearly drove off the road.

Here is a video of all of this. You get Daniel and the Iowa fight song, Ed as Mama Bear, Daniel with bells, and both boys playing with scarves (Ed is a very casual "whale," walking around with one hand in his pocket and the other very lackadaisically swinging a scarf around). After that is a minute of Ed at gymnastics. Sorry for the long video; we had a lot to summarize.

This is a special "Gram and Bridget" edition of the blog.

Last Wednesday at nap time, Daniel insisted that the only book he wanted to read was "Hop on Pop." This proved problematic, as we don't actually own "Hop on Pop," but frequently borrow it from the library. I tried promising that we could go to the library after naps, but since he has no concept of time, this totally did not work. He ended up flopping in bed in tears. Which lasted about six seconds before he fell asleep. He comes home from daycare exhausted!

So, true to my word, we went to the library that afternoon and got the book. I can not begin to count how many times I've read it since then. He simply can not get enough. I'm slightly ashamed to admit that when he brought it to me again this afternoon, I groaned. Audibly. I told him I would read it "in a minute," but he plopped on the floor, book in lap and said, "I wanna see 'sad dad bad had,' " which, for the uninitiated, is a double page spread in the book about sad dad who had a bad day. Then he brought it back to me saying "cup pup up," the first page in the book. He stood next to me and proceeded to "read" almost the whole book while I held it and turned the pages. Too bad I didn't keep track of how many times I'd read it this week, because apparently it's the magic number for toddler memorization.

When John got home, Daniel was ready for another round. Warning: this video is LONG (3 min.) and probably will not make sense if you don't know the book. This one is for Gram.



As always, Daniel wanted to "see Daniel" as soon as he got done. Edward then decided that he needed to get in on the performance action and reminded me that I've been trying to get him to sing one of his new songs "for Aunt Bridget." Up to now, each request has been met with indifference/refusal. But tonight, for your viewing pleasure, here is Edward singing the days of the week in Spanish:

Ed helped me make Valentine cookies last week, a grand family tradition. It had been on my "to do" list but was in danger of falling too low to accomplish before the holiday. But then when I heard our neighbor snow-blowing our driveway after the latest blast of winter, I was inspired. Nothing says "Thank you!" like a sweet Valentine treat. We're hoping it also says, "Please, please, please, keep up the good work" as we're due for another five inches tonight and tomorrow. Yes, that's right, tomorrow. Monday. The occasion of my weekly trip to Cedar Rapids. ARGH! It's supposed to be done by the time I'll hit the road, but it was also supposed to have started by now, and any delay in onset brings a parallel delay in ending.

Ed had fun with the cookies, but didn't have the attention span to continue with the decorating. I actually consider cookies my best artistic medium, so I didn't mind adding the frosting and sprinkles myself. We also took some to our "church friend" Barb, who sits with us each week and helps me keep the boys corralled. And of course, we managed to eat a few ourselves!

Despite the snow, we may be off the sledding circuit for a while. We tried again after the previously described trip and Daniel was not into it. I'm not sure if it truly was lingering fear from the previous wipe-outs, or just that he happened to be tired and hungry, but after one trip down he declared he was ready to go home and started walking toward the car. We tried some persuasion, to no avail. I said I'd take Daniel home and John could call when he and Ed were done. Once we got the car, Daniel was in such a state that he could not say whether he wanted to get in or stay and go sledding. The response to either option was a screaming "No!" It took me long enough to figure out how to proceed, that John and Ed took a few more trips down the hill and Ed decided he didn't want to stay if we were leaving. They came around the corner to the parking lot just as I was at my wits end with how to get Daniel home. John got him buckled and I declared I was DONE with sledding for the season. We'll see.This morning the boys were playing firefighter, rushing from this "truck" to the next room to put out a fire "so big it's pink and purple," according to Firefighter Edward. There was a house fire in town (close to campus) this week and he saw a picture in the paper, so he's been extra interested in all things rescue this week. However, I'm not sure how color and size became conflated. During this picture, Ed made a siren sound so loud it sent him into a coughing fit.

For some reason, Daniel finds it easier to put on the fire helmet backward, so this is most often the way he wears it. I think he also finds that it stays on his head better this way.