Our Art Projects

Lately I have been trying to branch out in our daily activities.  I can stand only so many Dora the Explorer episodes and dancing consists of me spinning Linden around in circles while Calvin tries to climb my legs.  We try to spend a few hours outside each day but for some reason the sand just doesn't want to stay in the sand box.  I find it on the patio, in neat little piles in the grass, and tracked all over the kitchen floor.  Yes, I know, they are kids.  Oh well, now I know why my mom was frequently frustrated about the condition of the house.  Because of my inability to deal with dirt I decided it was time to break out the art supplies.  Linden's new favorite thing is to play with the Play Dough.  I'm trying to use it as an opportunity for learning different colors, but she's just too interested in squishing the animals she just cut out.   It will come in time.  Calvin's interest in the Play Dough is simply to taste whatever he can get his hands on.   It's fun to watch their minds work in different ways.  Linden's imagination is on fire, making all the animals talk to their "friends" and telling me all kinds of stories about what is happening.  Calvin is just looking for a good snack.

Calvin's idea of art is a little bit different than Linden's.  His is all accidental.  Yesterday he got into the refrigerator and pulled out the honey dijon and threw it on the floor.  It shattered and there was a nice big blob of mustard in the middle of the floor.  Then, in the afternoon, he found the box of Diet Coke and began pulling cans out and watching the roll across the floor.  After pulling all of them out and tossing them across the kitchen one of them developed a hole and sprayed all over the floor.  It was quite a mess but he seemed to enjoy watching the can spray everywhere.

The Tri (and Try)-Athlon

Saturday was a fun day for our family. Travis participated in the local YMCA triathlon. It was enjoyable to watch because there were people of all makes and models there, all with the goal of finishing and doing their best. The pool swim is always an interesting event because of the way they have you do it. Everyone starts in the same lane at fifteen second intervals in between. You swim a lap in that lane and then move over to the next lane to swim a lap and so it goes until you have swam the entire pool. It is called a snake swim and is probably one of the most unappealing thing about the triathlon. Travis said there were a lot of swimmers who do not know proper pool etiquette and he got stuck behind a couple of them. For those of you who are confused as to there being a set of rules in swimming, the main rule is if someone touches your feet, either get out of the way or speed up. This is especially difficult when you are doing a snake swim because at any point you could have two people trying to pass two different swimmers and they are going two different directions. Something like this usually ends with a collision and bruised arms. Travis survived the swim and felt good about his time.

Then it was off to the bikes.

Travis has an old hand-me-down bike (thanks Ben) that he uses to get to and from work. It is great for that purpose, but not quite the kind of bike to use for a road race. There were lots of people with fancy, streamlined bicycles that blew past Travis on the biking part, but he held his own and finished that portion strong.

Calvin wasn't too interested in looking for daddy and spent most of the time trying to wiggle out of the stroller.

Linden kept asking where daddy was and saying, 'hurry mommy, we need to go get him!'. She didn't understand that he was going to be coming back and then leaving again to do the run. She and Calvin did a lot of cheering for people as we waited. They seemed to enjoy themselves.

Travis finished the biking and ran off before we could catch a picture of him. We got him on the way into the finish line though.

He finished the race strong and said that his swim and run felt great and that he needed a new bike. All in good time. I hope that some of this exposure rubs off on the kids.

Linden needs an outlet for her endless energy (and Calvin just needs to learn to walk!). 

I was supposed to participate but, due to unfortunate circumstances, was unable to. I have set another goal and hope to be able to run a half-marathon in November.

A Day In the Life of...

Linden- Her day begins with a cup of juice and whatever she sees upon opening the fridge.  Sometimes it's yogurt, sometimes it's cheese.  She's even been known to request pickles for breakfast.  Then it's off to the gym to play while mom works out.  Lunchtime is coupled with a movie (after reading three books first, of course) while mom is busy with little brother.  Nap time is always a big question mark for her.  She is notorious for laying down for a few minutes and then getting up and getting in to trouble.  She turns on the light and gets into whatever toys or books she can get her hands on.  She has even been known to change her clothes several times just to keep from napping.  We have tried everything from putting a lock on the door to taking the light bulbs out of her light with none of that really working.  Finally I resorted to putting up the pack-and-play in the middle of the room where she can't reach anything.  
Now at least she is contained in an area that, if she decided she was tired, she could sleep easily.  Some might say she is growing out of naps.  I find her behavior suggests otherwise.  Normally she is a very bright and energetic child.  Without naps she cries all the time and teases incessantly.

Calvin- He starts the day dancing in his crib and singing to himself until mom can make it into his room to get him.  He spends the next twenty minutes or so zooming all over the house inspecting toys that were forgotten the night before.  He then eats about two bites of  cereal before demanding "cracker".  That is his first real word (besides mom and dad) and that is the only thing he will eat.  I have been limiting his intake of crackers to cheerios in the morning and crackers at snack time.  Lunch and dinner are real food or nothing.  I've noticed he doesn't fight his food quite as much, but he is still VERY picky.  To fill up the morning we head to the  gym where he has lots of the workers smitten.  I'd like to think he's their favorite baby.  Then it's back home for a little lunch and then a nap.  He has recently decided only one nap a day is all he needs.  I fought it for a while but then he started sleeping 2 1/2 hours for his afternoon naps and I decided I was okay with that.  After nap time we get the toys out and dance to some music or go for a walk.  
Calvin has also figured out how to open up the toilet lids so it's always a good idea to be nearby when he heads in the direction of the bathroom. Besides splashing in the toilet water he also enjoys unrolling the toilet paper rolls. When daddy gets home it's always a fun moment because  everyone immediately heads for the door, Calvin especially.  

Travis- Not naturally an early riser, he has taken on the job of cleaning the parking lot.  He gets ready for the day  and then heads out on his bike.  After cleaning it's off to work, again on his bike.  After putting in a full day at the health clinic he rides his bike home to his waiting family.  All in all it is a twelve mile round trip and he enjoys having the time to think and enjoy the fresh air

Maren- My day is a success if I am able to work out, take a nap, and get dinner ready.  All the time in between is divided between making a mess with the kids and then cleaning up after them.  I have recently re-discovered books and am enjoying them in the evening while Travis studies.

The County Fair

  

This last Saturday we spent the day having fun.  Travis and I took the kids to the local County Fair where Linden discovered the excitement of flashing lights and fun rides.  She wanted to do EVERYTHING we saw but was satisfied with riding the carousel and kiddy  boats.  Calvin was a little too small to do the rides, but we did go for a "train" ride in some water barrels pulled by a lawn mower.  He loved it.  We also walked through the petting zoo where we saw baby donkeys, bunnies, baby geese, and a litter of pigs (are they litters?)   Calvin was fascinated by the giant mother.  Linden got a little closer to the horses by going on a pony ride.  It was her first and she loved it.   We may have another horse girl on our hands! All and all it was a great afternoon for everyone.

What's with our name?

Moddy?  You may ask why we have chosen this as our family blog name.  You can thank Linden for it.  It is her version of a title for a hybrid parent (mommy + daddy = "moddy").  Apparently it has been a little confusing for her since Travis got back from his training this summer and uses "moddy" regularly to refer to daddy.  On occasions she will use it to refer to me (mommy) but we all find it very amusing.  It has taken us a while to get back into a routine with all of the crazy things that have been happening with Travis's work and school schedule, but I'm finding that we have all adjusted well to being back together again.  As far as this blog goes, it's kind of an experiment.  I love reading what others have to say on their own blogs and figured it was about time for our family to get in on the action.  I'm hoping to keep this updated as much as possible (2-3 times a month for starters, and I think that is awfully optimistic).  We hope you enjoy peeking into the life of our little family.