My Two Suns

These 2 little guys light up the world for me. I am so sick of winter--truly, truly sick of it. This is the first year that I've believed in seasonal depression disorder. Winter, snow and cold seem like they are never going away. If these 2 small people were not such wonderful bits of sunshine everyday, it would be easy to stay in bed all day during the winter and hibernate. I want to get out and run on trails instead of the treadmill......go to the park.....go for bike rides.....see Elliot crawl on the grass instead of carpet.....watch Ethan ride his bike instead of being cooped up inside....wear flip flops.....open the windows.....eat outside on the deck.....drink iced tea on my porch. At least I have these Es with me each day, I hope their pictures and smiles brighten your day too! -RL

Supertots!

It was parents day at Supertots again and Ethan discovered during this session that he loves to swing on the rope. It was all he would do during their free time in the pit. Notice the Star Wars shirt? Yes, this obsession has taken over his life. He dreams he's Luke Skywalker at night. -RL

Easter Buddies, Easter Bunny

Hope everyone had a lovely Easter! We had fun dressing up the kids in their Sunday best! The minute we walked in the house from church, everyone changed into sweatpants and t-shirts for the rest of the day. I guess we're not "Sunday best" kind of people. The Easter bunny brought several Star Wars related toys for Ethan, so we haven't seen him since. He received a light saber from Grammy that will most likely result in massive injuries to someone in this house. -RL

Snips and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails....

At 5 months pregnancy, we found out we were having another boy, our little Elliot. When you have 1 boy and are pregnant with another, the most common reaction from people is: "Oh, were you hoping for a girl?" Add the look of pity and you've got the picture. The truth is, I feel really lucky to have 2 boys. As a child, I was pretty tom-boyish. I have never been a girly-girl, so if I had a daughter like that, I would not know what to do with her. Having a daughter would scare the bejeebus about of me. (Aside: Emma is a great part-time daughter, but the dynamics are definately different than an actual mother/daughter relationship.)

Ethan is into so many things that I am genuinely interested in, mainly dinosaurs, animals and his newest obsession Star Wars. I love reading about all of these things to him. I love digging in the dirt, playing in the snow, laughing about the word "poop", explaining why Luke can't marry Leia. You can do all of this with a daughter, I know, but there is something so fun about the wild antics of boys. Buying light sabers is cool too. May the force be with you all! -RL

Times They are A-Changin'

Elliot learned to crawl in early December at 6.5 months. I thought I had at least 1 more month before I had to chase after him! He learned to climb the stairs one day while I was getting a bowl of cereal and came to find him halfway up with a mischievous smirk on his snerk--not unlike the one in the above picture. He is growing up too fast.

"Bits and Pieces"

This Friday at 4 pm, Moorhead High School's one-act play "Bits and Pieces" will be performed at the O'Shaughnessy Theatre on the campus of the college of St. Catherine's in St. Paul as a part of the Minnesota State High School League One-act play festival. This is the fourth time in five years I have brought a group down to perform at this and the vibe is definitely pro-cities schools. If any of you live in the cities and happen to enjoy the occasional performance of quality high school theatre, Moorhead (and I) could use your love and support. It would be nice for the kids to look out in the audience and recognize faces, or even be told before hand that foreign, but friendly, faces will be gazing back. I am highly fortunate to be able to work with such committed and talented young performers. To those of you who can swing it, I'd be eternally grateful. If you can't come, but you'd like to, please send us your positive thoughts. If you need any details, please feel free to post and I'll get back to you before Friday. Thanks!--C.L.

The Next Ten Minutes

Last night Rikki and I went to a local production of Jason Robert Brown's heartbreaking ode to heartbreak called "The Last Five Years". For those of you unfamiliar, it's the story of a couple who goes through the ups and downs, including and marriage and divorce, of a five year relationship. The two person show features music and lyrics that run the gamut between extreme moments of happiness at the first meeting to the moment they realize it's too late to save their relationship. Even though it was a local production, it reminded me of the fragility of love and how lucky I am to be with someone so special. Through the tears, I was able to recognize the beauty within my partnership with my bitchin' babe. Anyway, if any of you get a chance to see this, you should definitely do it. At least check out the soundtrack featuring Norbert Leo Butz (the original Fiyero--Yay Wicked!) and Sherri Rene Scott. It might make you cry, but you'll listen to it over and over again. I hope all are well in the New Year and we'll talk soon. C.L.