Voyages in Parenthood

Leda is very interested in my guitar, that poor instrument that has been stuck in the corner of my office, wishing someone would pick it back up and learn how to play it! Anyway, Leda loves the guitar! She likes to strum the strings! I purchased a surprise for Brock (okay, it was really for me, but Brock likes it a lot!) from iTunes today and asked Brock to come up to my office to hear his surprise - Little Feat's latest album . Leda immediately went over to the guitar and started strumming it. So I asked her if she would like to play it and boy, did her eyes light up. So I told her to sit in the chair and I placed the guitar in her hands. And, cuteness blinded us all! And, she didn't even really need to be told how to hold the guitar...she's a natural! Can you guess what she MIGHT get for Christmas this year??? ;-)

Tonight, after dinner, Leda and Brock went outside to play. I followed a little later. Connor, the 12 year old boy who lives next door came over to play a little with Leda. She LOVES Connor! They were playing Hide-n-Seek. It was Connor's turn. He counted on one side of the large tree in the middle between our two houses while Leda hid on the OTHER SIDE of the large tree! Connor yelled out, "Ready or not, here I come!" Leda yelled, "Ready!" It was cute! Obviously, he found her pretty quickly. The next time it was Connor's turn, Leda hid behind the ladder for the slide. The later for the slide is not solid, so it would be pretty easy for someone to find her! Obviously, Connor was able to find her pretty quickly again. I guess it's time to teach Leda the fine art of hiding so that the other guy can't find her!

Let me tell you, I have the best friends! And I'm not just saying that because we got to spend the whole day on their boat on the Chesapeake bay on a day that couldn't have been better weather-wise. No, I truly believe I have the best friends. The fact that they have a boat and invited us to spend the day with them on a day that couldn't have been better is just a perk! ;-) Yesterday was such a day. We were invited to join the Durhams on a day boat trip on the Chesapeake Bay. We met early in the morning (okay, so 9am isn't exactly early) and we headed down to North East, MD to launch the boat. When Leda woke up in the morning and I told her that she needed to get into her bathing suit, she thought we were going to Paige's house to go swimming. I told her no, but we were going to go with Paige on a boat trip and we would fish and that she could swim in the bay. The only time Leda has been on the boat is when we were down the shore, so she was a bit confused by this ...

The latest in Leda world....when we tell her "no" to something, she will cross her arms and say, "I'm not going to be your friend anymore." This has happened to both Brock and I this week. So, just to alert the world, Brock and I are no longer friends of Leda! Until she gets over it! And then all is right with the world again.

It happens every four years. I try to plan two weeks of my summer around what I want to see on the Olympics. Which is pretty much everything. Except boxing, I don't dig boxing. I love the Olympics. I wish I had been good enough at something when I was a kid to have made it to the Olympics. One year, I will go to the Olympics (we are starting to plan for London 2012 - that would be an awesome one for me to go to!). And, I will cry like a baby when I get there! Seriously, I love everything about the Olympics. I like the competition, I like the unknown, I like the camaraderie, I like the idea of the youth of the world coming together to compete in a positive way. I just eat that stuff up. And yes, I ball like a baby when the torch is lit. And every year, right before the start of the opening ceremonies, I say I will probably flip the channels during the parade of nations (because, man, that takes FOREVER!) but I never do. I watch them all. I watch it all. And I scream and yell at Bob ...

Yes, that is what we are in, now that Leda has one of these...that now works! Our neighbors gave us this motorized vehicle when Connor got too old for it. We loaned it to the Durhams for awhile, since Leda was a little too little for it. The batteries were pretty much done for. Brock just bought new batteries for it and they arrived yesterday. So Leda got to try it out when she got home from daycare. Needless to say, she loved it. Yeah, I know, not enough posting. Well, just don't have a bunch to say...it is summer, the Olympics are on (Awesome stuff - So glad I stayed up late on Sunday night to see the men win the 400 free medley...wow!) and I'm pretty much hating computers these days...too much work! I am going to attempt to post a little more the next week or so....try and pick it up before Leda goes off to SCHOOL! That's right, Leda starts nursery school this fall! Unbelievable! (okay, its like a total of 5 hours a week...two days a week...but still!)

We spent the weekend (and Brock's birthday) in NY with the family. Claire and the kids came in from Colorado so we headed up to spend some time with them and Grandpa and Nana Pam. We got home last night. Had to work today. I'm beat. The camera's battery died half way through downloading the pictures. So, only two to keep you occupied until a full write up of the weekend can occur... Leda with Daddy's birthday cake - obviously with NOT NEAR enough candles! After a visit and lunch with Nana Rose