Keep on Keeping on- no it's up

This week has been too busy to sit down and write! I'm stepping into my 40's, ok mid 40's and I have to be the dog that breaks the rules. You know that "you can't teach an old dog new tricks", one. I'm trying, I swear I'm trying and I think I am getting better. My patience is growing, my listening, I'm tuning in, and my eyes and ears sometimes can't believe what they see and hear. The kids are good teachers, and it's true that they learn and mimic from what they see. It's not a pretty picture when you act out and see your kids acting out too! You know that's a boomerang shot to the head. That's what got me to be a good listeners, take a breath or two and then have action not reaction. I am going to give myself a pat on the back for that self taught insight. I know that's not my and only my thought but what it is is mine, in that it's now a learned lesson. Now I am a true believe that on the book side you learn the basics but it's in the trench that you see the light. Same with business, you can formulate an IRR, you can have a business plan, know your competition and I still belief that limitation are mostly self imposed. Its how to massage them into working muscle that makes them part of your soul-your badges of honor, it's takes the trench to draw them out. Like a good sweat you feel it, in the beginning its hard breathing, you feel only pain, can be daunting but it still feels good. It's the trying, pushing and reps that get you into better and better shape. Pretty soon your way past that first wall, the one which felt like a barrier is so far behind you that you don't remember the burn but it's the lesson that lets you go to places. Places you could not have done without the 1st steps. I belief caring , raising and hell just trying to keep up with kids is just like that. The issue is that you can not fail here, to much. These kids are yours, you want them to be the best that they can be, you want them to have a good view of the road but not so much that its scary. My daughter, the one that will jump from just about anything she can climb, will also be the 1st one to say that's scary. Not the jumping which I wish she would but other things. She seems to know when she is not informed enough or this is not a scene she has knowledge of. At 2 you would think everything is unseen and can be scary, but thats not true. She has a uncanny internal radar that will go off when she needs more help or too back off, at least I prey so. She does get into things that make me say WHAT. I get my fill of kids books and there is one called bad dog Marley. Marley is a dog that is full of puppy wow. Marley gets into what he should not, till the day he saves the baby that tried to get up on the frig top. Well were is Marley- I need him. For I have a daughter that got up on to the counter, up to the frig and was enjoying herself some mini reese's peanut butter cups that we keep around as rewards. I guess we weren't rewarding enough and Sydney took it upon herself to do so. Think for her birthday I will get her a parachute. So I will keep trying to improve myself parenting and myself. This is for one I want to raise good healthy and well developed children, and two because I want peace in the house and not to go up on charges of killing anyone. LOL (thats a joke for you social humanitarians which see it as your responsibility to patrol the world and have no humor. )
I have the kids hiking. I am so proud of them as they are of themselves. My son and daughter made it up a rock face with little help. We went much further then I thought we would. I taught them both how to use the soles of their shoes to get the best grip. How not to step on lose gravel and dirt as it slips. The proper use of hand holds and to use both legs and arms to propel themselves up the rocks. What a great job. As we went up a stepper rock face we came down a dirt road. On that my daughter just laughed the whole way down sliding on her jean bottom butt. Jack my son proceeded to climb the playground rock climbing wall by himself after. I was there to spot him but he did it himself and was very proud. They are working well together and are the best of friends- I love it!!

Coal Truck headed North!

Monday- weekend in back pocket and we lost an hour. My thought for the weekend was to out maneuver this spring forward day light savings in my favor. Friday, I planned on turning my clocks ahead two hours. I figure there is no hard feeling of staying up late on friday night. By turning the clocks ahead it is just like the days of old pushing my bed time past the midnight hour. Saturday was still Saturday and NOW Sunday, instead of losing an hour I get an hour. An extra hour on Sunday is precious. My feeling is we should bag this day light savings and leave the clock alone, BUT if your going to mess with my weekend it's not my Sunday thats going to suffer. We had a nice weekend. Saturday was mine as Rhonda had a early yoga class and then she sat in on a 9-5 class "WHAT TO DO IN A DISASTER". So I guess putting your head between you legs and kissing your ass goodbye is not good enough. She is going to know what to do, where to go to keep our family safe from terrorist, flood , famine, over population, under cropped, and burning a hole in the OZONE suffering people that Al Gore has told us we are. Hell I'm betting if we had listen to Al in the 1st place when he told us about this internet that he and a few of his close friends had made that all of this would have foretold and fore warned to us from the get go. I am sure the clues were there. Dam, that Gore for knowing so much and doing nothing till he won an Oscar. My guess is he is really going to let us have it when he lets it know that he is Nostradamus reincarnated, but we won't know till Up your Noastra the 2nd coming is released and out in a theater near you. You know I still am going to put a bottle of Scotch and a big ole fatty in the survival kit. So while Rhonda is saving our skin the kids went over to one of Jack school mates home to play. His buddy at school was nice enough to invite Sydney too, so I had 10 to 1 to myself. Plan was, and it was the plan to come home and work on basement. Thats my story and I'm sticking to it, but sunny day, close to Boulder, and no kids, I wondered. I went to Peets coffee then just walked around and till a grab a sandwich later, the next thing I knew is that it was time to get Jack & Sydney, so wasted no, productive not really but it was nice. I got the kids and came home played a little with the two of them , But Sydney went down for a nap and Jack had seen a golf game or something because he a bug in his shorts to play golf. I put him in the front year, showed him a few things. How to hold the club, foot placement, line up and back swing, and that was all it took. Jack said he had it, and did not need me any more - go get my own clubs. Amazing I have at the age of two heard my son I can not teach him any more - I can go- he knows enough! I did not think that would happen till the rip old age of 9 or 10, but 3! I know he is smart but 3 maybe not smart enough. Now I had a few things to do, the computer and my office looks right out into the yard, so I let Jack play out his front nine there. He was the new champ, maybe a tiger. Hell my nick name was tiger growing up. Maybe this would be the real or another tiger of golf. I can carry his bag! Well Jack hit some, whiffed a few more and then I came to look out and he was not in the front. I go out side and he comes Jack around the corner. He had Just asked Howard our neighbor to play. Now this is nice that he has a little neighbor to play with, but only problem is Howard is 82 maybe 84. His wife has just come around from a dog walk and let us know that Howard has been sick for the past few days. Went to see a doctor yesterday and is now on cough meds and antibiotics. Tess his wife goes in and here comes Howard out. He sounded as if he has just gotten though playing a set in a smoke filled jazz club. Voice as he calls it is weak, but he could not turn down his invitation by my 3 year old. Nice guy, howard. So he plays a short few with Jack and heads back in. Rhonda returned and had a good class with everyone learning a lot, She informs me that there is another class that runs 3 to 4 weeks, and at the end your receive a yellow hard hat, whistle. I am betting they ask all to line up bend over to see who has the biggest asshole. I pray she has not signed up for that. She was smart said no to that class, to the first aid kit they where selling and I bet they had emergency radios. Planning and supplies where the main staple I do believe. Nice but I have been there done that with the boy scouts, first aid, life guarding and my EMT, WEMT, ski patrol and mountain rescue classes. I been then done that with classes and with real life. Coffee, walk and the 10 deep breaths I was able to get in today were my 1st aid package and refresher course. Sunday was nice, and to tell you the truth the time change was a non event as I had conspired to spring my time back. We work around the house a bit, then we went to a one year old party. Someone I did not know. This was a party of a girl that works at the YMCA and gives massages, she also does them at her house. Rhonda has done both and got the invite. I went and had a great time. Many younger people there so we raised the mean age but what we added in years we also added in clean skin. There where more tats then I had seen in years. I don't know the biker bars around here but I did have run in with Tattoos in NYC on the lower east side. I like them and if I where not such a chicken I would most likely have one. I dated a girl that had one of a dolphin and that was one only a few saw, I think! I have know just a few others but not a lot. In this room we where the outsiders, and I looked around. Most were just simple and one girl, lady as my sister would tell me to call her. I don't know I would call her girl, but my sister would give me shit saying she is a women. To me calling a women a girl or a man a boy is all about attitude. I like it when I can say I am going on a ride with the boys or that girl will smoke you in the pipe, whatever. So I say girl, and she was covered with many tattoos shoulder to foot. I asked her a few questions but I did want to sound like the old daddy. I can relate to thinking back when I started riding a snowboard, sport was brand new. Many per day where seeing a rider for their first time, I was asked all the time. What is that? Is it legal to do, does the mountain support it and why or is it fun. NO MY MOM MAKES ME DO IT! was my pat answer in my head! Don't believe I ever really said it but felt like I should have. So been there don't do act like a ninny was running though my head. Plus I might have one if I have had come across the one which grabbed me. Anyway, nice party, and this one as all one year old birthday parties should be was for the parents that made it through the 1st year. Nice and lively. . Well Rhonda was off again for the week on biz and the kids and I drove her to the airport at 7:30. I was still feeling the party from yesterday and the kids wanted to go to the rec. center, or so they thought. Sydney had not slept well and feel asleep in the car driving back home. Jack saw opportunity to put in his vote for things to do and we talked about options. I would have been happy with a nap. As we where driving Jack saw a truck loaded with coal. He asked me where is that truck going? I did not know I told him so. He very quickly responded and with no doubt said, I bet it is going to Santa. It's for all the bad people! Nothing to argue with there! So I am home. We snuck in, made sandwiches and then hit the road. We went up to Nederland, but it was very cold and no real place to eat. So we picnic in the minivan,Boulder falls very cold, and still some snow and ice on path way. No place for a 3 and 2 year old. So we went down to Ebin Fine park in Boulder. It's right along boulder creek, slides, swings, rocks to climb and a rock climbing wall. Everything you need. Throw in a tunnel for the bike hike path, a creek, and a few trees with bugs and it's good for 3 hours, trust me. The bugs and a tree was good alone for an hour and fifteen minuets alone. Home now and it 5 as I pull in to driveway. Kids are asleep and I am writing. Enough I have dinner to do. My advise is just don't do anything that's going to have one of those pieces of coal showing up in your stockings. Jack and I we've seen the supply, its big and it's headed north.

Coyotes at the door!

Today or yesterday thursday, now that it is Friday, I spent another day with Jack and Sydney. Somehow I feel it should be Jack and Syd, but I don't want any correlation with the music of Syd and Nancy of NYC. I know a real stretch but thats just my bad. This Jack & Syd feed off one another and I belief benefit each others soul. Syd & Nancy ate each others soul- sad story but so long ago many will not even know what I am talking about.
I have a small office that looks out to the front yard., which in turn is at the end of a cul-de-sac and the start of a park for the kids to play in. I believe it is safe and I can watch them play outside my window. Most of the time they can play in the front yard, play around the car and the camper. I have a VW camper that is from 1975 and both Sydney & Jack think it is the best. One day about a year ago I came outside to find my daughter hugging the back right side of the camper- I do not believe that you can write a better ad for any vehicle. We live in Colorado and the weather can change and it does. Winter's are thought of by other people in the country as- "Oh you live in snowy Colorado- COLD, DEEP SNOW. In fact the mountains can be so but more then often I get by in a fleece pull over, that works for most of the winter. So I work in the morning and the kids ride bikes, play outside my window and then almost on Que. I can tell Sydney is going to make a break for it and head to the park. The swings are calling, the slide is too too much to resist, a sand pile just has to be dug in. She is b-lining it for the glory of the park. Today she is no different and I leave my seat and window and follow her and Jack. We are met with many other , same idea has drawn them to the park. I play with my kids and other kids- a big chase is on. Fun for all. We play for an hour maybe more and then today go shopping at costco. Alway fun trip, I pray! Kids want to be in the cart, but riding on side of cart, riding under cart, running down isle,always win. It never fails that on the way to the store I can always hear. "I'm thirsty, and I have to go the the potty. 1st stop is a dash to the rest room. I have a little of a system once in Costco, see where the samples are being giving out, and avoid the things which drawl kids in. It can navigate the store and maze, down this isle not that one, turn quick right, reverse and push through here while asking questions so they keep there eyes on me and not the new candy piles that call out Easter is coming or only 15 weeks to the start of the december season. Yes you can make it through the store towers of evil so that will your kids will not turn into a whinny state of I want, I need, I am going to get it and the shrill cry you hear which will rip the skin from you body, turning you into a state of "WHO THE HELL ARE THESE PEOPLE AND IS IT OK FOR ME TO LEAVE THEM IN ISLA 15?" Today was a good day. All I had to deal with was a little race down the freezer section, can I have 2 yogurts from the sample table and this looks like a great place to hide in the newly brought in oven, fridge, and appliance display. Then we all got what we want. Cheese and little play house. I had a traveling cheese display, here for the final weekend and my kids had a play house. I got to sample 4 or 5 different cheese. The blue being my favorite, and Jack and Sydney played in the play house. This play house had a front door, with mail box, 3 windows one in the front, one in the back and side one and then a porch with two bench seats along opposite walls to complete the total outside look. Inside I saw a sink and I am sure there was more. By this time I had taken a seat on the outside furniture around the fire pit. only 1100 for this piece of relaxation. To me it was free to sit in, digest and watch the kids climbing in one window, out the back, and around to the front door. Good for 20 mins by my clock. We all went home happy to have had play time, down time and sample food from around the worlds of Costco. Dinner was quickly put on table, Sydney went to bed very nicely but jack would not do the same. He has more energy then I and he is only 3 1/2. While My wife Rhonda and I went to get our room ready- praying and hoping Jack would go to his room, we hear a scream down stair. I thought Jack had cut his foot off, burnt his head or maybe found a dead person. This scream meant business. I almost flew down the stairs as Jack is climbing up and he mets me with there is someone at the door. I flick on the lights and see a little dog. A small collie type dog that is trying to get in. This is a lost dog, it's cold outside and he , she is hoping we take him/her in. I say him/her because this dog is not in good shape I would say at the least it has hip displacer and worst maybe old broken legs. Fur has some very nice spots on top but under coat has many knots, bundles of fur which have not seen a brush since Bush took office, Not sure if that is Bush one or two presidency. While Rhonda and Jack keep our dogs upstairs they feed this dog some treats and water. I proceed to walk around to our new neighbors that I know have a small dod. Maybe this dog got lost , knew almost where it lived but was off by a backyard. The night has numerous stars out and a few people walking in therapy of the night air. I ask one if they had a missing dog, but no luck. I do spend a good part of the walk looking to the night sky and reach our new back yard, fence sharing family home. Nice lady with three kids and she tell me they have there dog inside, she is a big horse person that loves all animals and they have just moved here so her children can go to Erie school. Nice to hear as we are not sure if the schools are good enough for Jack & Sydney. She is very happy as are her kids which show up to the door also. No man so she maybe a single mom! I go home, dog has had a few treats, but no hard food as it teeth are in poor condition. Walking is slow and I still do not know if this dog is female or male. Not going to try and find out. Fur is matted and back legs, hips are painful to watch faulted movement. We proceed to get the cage from downstairs which our dogs have used, put blanket, water and treats inside and go up stairs. Jack has been watching, little help but very curious as to why this animal has shown up. In bed we find out that Jack thought he had been greeted by a coyote at the front dog. We have many around here. Our cat had even shown up here one night last summer with a bite to the back side. This is the only time this cat let me attend to it. Brush fur away, clean out wound and give it some TLC. Most times this cat only action is to whine to get in, out and to be feed. Further then that, she just tolerates our existence. Since it being that Jack has nightmare about coyotes it's no wonder he screamed He has worried about coyotes outside asking if they will come to the house, in the house, or to his room. I am not surprise that he let out this boom curdling scream which he did this night. He had his own private night name staring him in the face with only a pain of glass separating him and the beast of outside his door. That night I checked on the visiting dog and slept on couch after daughter woke up around 1:30. I put her in my bed with Rhonda and Jack and I went down to couch. Dog was ok, I was not sure it would live through the night! In the morning I left this dog out back. Poor thing could not make it down from deck, did not even try, and relieved itself 5 feet from the door. We called the police around 7 and had dog picked up. As the police walked the poor thing to his car I saw a man walking another pooch. I yelled to see if he had run across anyone missing a dog. He ask what type and after I told him a small collie. He said that maybe just maybe there was an owner which had a small collie across the park. The officer said he would cruse by to see if anyone flagged him down. Thats the end of our meeting of the wild beast which hit up my front door, and scared my son. The coyote at the door!

Out of the mouth of 3 year olds

I have a three year old and a two year old. Nothing is boring around here, and there is never real peace, or should I say down time. Monday I have the kids for most of the day, and we are starting a ritual of going into Boulder to the Scott Carpenter Park. Nice park with a rocket for the kids to climb in, slides and rocks to climb are around. If there is snow, a hill to slide down too. Monday we had enough snow and a place for the kids to burn off some energy. Of course I get to pull sled up hill, sled maybe empty of not! Sometimes I am riding in sled or running along side so I can met them at the bottom. I then get to pull sled back to the top of hill. But I am always paid off with smiles, laughs and sometimes a thanks or I love you. So this fills up my tank and all the while it keeps my tank in shape. Both good for my heart and good for my head.
After were finished sledding it's up to the mountain above Boulder. We hit up table rock and do lunch at the picnic table and a short hike with scrabbles up the rocks. This is with one of the nicest views in all of Colorado. This Monday we had Mountain top view covered in snow and a bright blue sky. Kids got to try out their new hiking boots too. My son's name is Jack he is a good teacher for his sister Sydney, while Sydney has a go get em sprit and not much that hold her back she needs Jack to give her a balance. Now Jack was showing his sister how to scrabble up the rocks, were to put your feet, she showed Jack how hopping down the rocks was fun to do. She just loves hopping sometimes does not matter the height she jumps from. I have to watch her. Both giving each other attention and showing each other how to do things in a diferent way, a different approuch. Some of the things they say are precious and driving down Jack just burst out in song about a beautiful day. I am sorry I did not have a video camera to take it in. I was very lucky to hear it and that I will always have that memory. A proud Dad is the pay off. I had been treated with the adoration of others that day too. As while we were at Whole foods I was given a "oh such beautiful kids comment by a lady waiting with me in the deli section. At the check out a lady behind me said what adorable kids, and I had to look around for a camera, thinking this was a set up as we walked to the car through the parking lot, a lady driving by stopped, roll down her window and said what beautiful kids I had. A perfect hat trick! And how could I argue! I had to agree and say thanks, but some how thanks doesn't sound right. I mean they are my kids so I had something to do with it but they are there own persons. Now people that are taking an active part in dressing themselves and that is nice, but that is not the good looks they were showing this day. What I saw was kids having a good day, the smiles they were giving where from the heart, the inside. As I saw Jack stopping and waving to the lady in the car, along with his smile, the good vibes he was passed along. In the store, both of them were taking care of each other, Deciding which sandwich they would like to split. Working it out as they each wanted a different sandwich, Saying ok, today we get this one and next time we will have the other. They had decided it was better to agree and to be cautious of the niceties of being with each other, not fighting. The people in the store I am sure were seeing this too. This is what makes people really beautiful. It was showing in them that day.
Yesterday I spent with my daughter as my son goes to school from 9-1. Sydney right now is hooked and I mean hooked on the little Einstein. Oh baby, is she even. She is hooked so much so that I now have a copy of one DVD on my phone. This works all the time. If she is coping and attitude, pull out Little Einstein, if she is impatient - tune in Little Einstein, if we are trying to distract her- Little saviour comes out. I knew she was going to like seeing what I had made for her but I had no idea to what extent. I made a picture of her and all of the little Einstein people aboard the red rocket. When I handed it to her. They was no reaction at all. She just stared at it. She just stood there and looked and looked. I wanted to see if she was ok, if she was still breathing because I had not see any movement, no reaction and no sound coming out of her. What I saw was that she was in heaven! She just could not believe how she has made it into the red rocket. She had made it. A picture of her aboard the red rock. She just carried the picture around with her the rest of the day. Her Mom put it into a frame and she was so proud. She did not ask me how she got into this picture, she just accepted it and loved it. Her brother asked to be put into Nemo, which I did for him but there was not the same reaction or love for the picture, he just wanted one of himself. One like his sister's. Well Little Einstein can work for me, what is nice is the baby sitter that baby Einstein can be. While yesterday I wanted to do some work, and do a little cleaning- Sydney is happy to watch the DVD of Little Einstein. And after I did a little work, we had lunch and, we then rode our bike to the library. I have a seat that lets her sit on the back of the bike. She has good protection and a great view too. In fact while we where approaching the library she called it out from far away as she can see well. Both kids love the new library and rec. center which the town just added. They are only a mile or 2 away from our house, so it is easy to get to them.
Today what inspired me to write was my son Jack. Now they are kids of 2 and 3 but Jack says things which amaze me all the time, Today was such a day. As Sydney looked up to the shelve that holds ours cereal she spots a box that shows a bowl full of the cereal with blueberry and raspberries in the picture. She starts to yell out Blueberries, blueberries. I turned around then because I did not think we had any blueberries. To my amazement I hear Jack, saying to her. No Sydney there not blueberries, it is cereal and that is the suggested way to have it. WHAT I say to myself, suggested way to have it. Here he had broken it down so quickly, and without any question. He knew thats they way it is in the picture but not what is really is in the box. His sister just stopped asking and knew that her brother had the answer, no more asking was needed. No doubt that her big brother had given her the answer and she was satisfied with it.
Well today is my 2nd post- I am going to try and add more. I want to remember that this is the most amazing time, watching the kids grow, hearing their words of wisdom. This is my out of the mouth of a three year old wow factor for today.