Day at the zoo

We decided to get away this weekend and headed over to Tulsa.  We stayed at the Radisson Friday night and enjoyed the indoor kid pool playground.  Then Saturday we hit the zoo.  Noah has been to the zoo about 3 times but it was the first time this year and he didn't remember the previous visits.

I have a bit of advice.  If you have a 4 year-old in your life, drop what you are doing and get to the zoo pronto.  It was so much fun watching him marvel at the animals.  It wasn't even the bigger animals like lions, bears, etc.  He had just as much fun seeing snakes, birds, and the smallest species of turtle.  If one of us wasn't right beside him when he saw a new animal, he'd freak out and find the other and parent and yell "Mom/Dad-you've got to this!!!!!! It's soooo cool!!!!!"  

Campbell had fun too, but it was more just being outside on a beautiful day.  We may have to make another trip over there before it gets to cold.

 

Diamonds are a boys best friend?

 

Last year the Race for the Cure steering committee gave me a pair of pink diamond cufflinks for being the race chair.  It was a great gesture and I appreciate everyone who pitched in.  Today is the first chance I've had to wear them.  I'm headed to the Pink Ribbon Luncheon to kick off Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Jenna snapped a picture on our way.  Hopefully between the 'manly pose' and the beard I can pull of pink diamonds without getting my man-card revoked.

Noah's birdhouse


After my triumphant Daddy time in the woods last week, I turned my attention to introducing Noah to tools. He has play tools and he helped me build his playhouse but I figured he was old enough to do most of the work himself.

We bought a birdhouse kit at Lowe's. It was a stage 1 so we didn't have to cut the wood but I helped him lay out the pieces. He used the pictures to orient them and I held the drill while he put it all together. He chose to paint it blue and I'll have to say he's quite proud of it.

The only downside is having to go outside morning, noon, and night to see if any birds have made it their home yet.

2010 JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes



Saturday morning Noah and I pushed Campbell in this year's walk in support of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. This was Jenna's second year as a volunteer and our second year to walk. It's a really nice day with a nice laid back vibe. It's always moving to see the different teams rallied around a child and this year was no exception.

We walked for Jenna's friend Cristin as well as our old neighbor Jill and Cuz's friends the Bonsell's. Noah kept wanting to walk faster because we were 'in a race.' I failed in repeated attempts explaining some races have a different type of finish line. I'm sure one year he'll get it.

Hiking at Lake Fayetteville

I picked Noah up from school yesterday and took him to Lake Fayetteville for a jaunt in the woods. I remember growing up with a decent amount of woods behind our house and loved exploring every nook and cranny.

I know we don't exactly live in an urban environment, but we also don't live close to anything like I did. I want Noah to love the woods as much as I do. Before I met Jenna, one of my favorite pastimes was backpacking. It pretty much ended when I met my wife. Jenna's idea of roughing it is having to walk from our patio to the fridge for a beer.


I figured if I'm going to instill the love of the woods in him-I have to get him in the woods. Simple but time doesn't necessarily make it easy.


I can say the day was everything I hoped. We saw a big group of deer, a couple frogs, and a white fuzzy caterpillar that he is still talking about. In about 3 weeks Ron and I are taking Noah and Hayden camping. I can't wait.

Campbell running in circles-The Sequel

She just cracks me up when she gets to going.  This one was sitting outside enjoying the perfect weather.

Noah's first sleep over

Noah had his first sleep over last night.  At least, his first friend to spend the night he wasn't related to.  They were really good kids. I was fully prepared to bring out my Daddy voice if they were over silly and wouldn't go to bed.  But they were perfect.  I read them a book and told them goodnight and never heard a peep from them all night.  This morning they watched Mickey Mouse, ate donuts, and played video games.  Hayden went to church with us this morning and then we took him home.  I guess you are always surprised when you expect the worse.

Campbell running in circles

I was trying to capture the moment of Campbell running in circles in her little 'walker.'  However, Noah aka Ben 10 was dying for my attention.  The result was an over stimulated Daddy who couldn't keep the camera still.

Sullivan cousin photo shoot

We went to ElDorado for Labor Day weekend to meet John Isaac.  It was nice to see everyone else but he was the main attraction.  On Saturday morning 6 adults tried to coral 4 children (2 under the age of 1).  The results were comical at times and impossible at others.  We just had to laugh at times.  We haven't seen the proofs yet but hopefully there were a couple framable ones.  We snapped some photos during the shoot and I put them up in a gallery.

You can click the photo below to go to the gallery.

I blew it again dear!

It took me the better part of an hour, but I had to find this strip from Calvin and Hobbes because I just knew I had done a good thing and my little Noah just twisted it into...well I better start from the beginning.

About a week ago, Noah asked me why I was his Daddy.  I'm not the world's greatest orator but every now and then the gift of spinning words is mine. I told him what I believe.  God chose me to be his Daddy and years ago He brought Noah's mother into my life.  I told him all about our wedding and how much we loved each other and then I capped it all off with telling him how God picked us to have a special little boy and how he grew in his mother's belly and I wrapped it up telling him about the moment I met him and how he stopped crying and looked at me because he knew my voice.  

I know it sounds super sweet, and I can hear my older sister gagging now, but it was a really special moment because he listened to every word and gave me a big hug afterwards.

Flash forward to tonight.  Noah asked Jenna to lay down with him for a few minutes.  I went upstairs to say goodnight.  We said our prayers and then my wonderful little son said (as if on cue), "Dad, tell me the story about me again."  I knew what he wanted but Jenna didn't know this conversation had taken place already.  I started the story and when we got to the part about God picking us to be his parents, Noah jumped up and stood in the middle of the bed and proclaimed to his mother (I'm putting it in quotes but there is no way I'm quoting this 100% correct because the boy may have broken a speed talk record):

"Then God shot laser beams from his fingertips and I glowed everywhere and then I said BAM and God said 'You have a little boy now' and then he shot me again with laserbeams and then He gave me to you guys! Isn't that cool Mom?!?!?!?"

The copyright for this comic strip is held by Universal Press Syndicate.

Warehouse Mouse and hippies

Noah wanted to wear a new shirt of his this morning. A small, seemingly innocuous comment by me meant I spent my morning trying to explain what a 'hippie' is. He didn't like any of my answers even though I tried it all from simple to honest. I finally decided there are just some things a 4year old just isn't going to get. I may just drop him off at Gilmore's house this weekend and let him explain the 60s to him.

On another note-when I snapped this pic Noah was watching the Disney channel. I have my weekly schedule down so when 'Where is Warehouse Mouse?' came on I totally freaked out. This is a 5 minute short every morning that transitions to the 730 show. Hearing the theme music was basically an alarm that it is now 725.

Without even realizing it-this show has become the metric I use for how I'm doing on time. I drop off the kids each morning. It takes about 15 minutes. On days I start on the east side of town I need to be out the door at the end of Warehouse Mouse-BUT-on days I start on the west side I need to be out the door before the Imagination Movers start to look for their furry little friend.

So I yell, 'Noah-get to the car now!!!' I scoop up Campbell and start stuffing her in the carseat. He just stands there. We never have to rush like this so I can see his doubt. 'Now Noah!' he starts to walk slowly to the door but he has to ask why so he does. Not sure why but I yelled 'Because Warehouse Mouse said so!!!!'

Then as serious as you can possibly believe he looks at me and says 'Is he a hippie Dad?'

Photo galleries are live

I'm going back and putting up some photo galleries from recent events.  I plan to add past events as well.  Right now just click "Photo Galleries" in the menu bar.  I say right now because I'm not really sold on that title.  When I come up with something better look for a change.

The first gallery I put up was our trip to Vegas the week before school started.  Look for more soon.