Team Allen Boyd

2010

2010-01-02T07:22:00.000-08:00

I've been forming a lot of little side-track discussions in my head for awhile. And I can't seem to find the motivation to tackle anything. I keep making excuses, getting disappointed, frustrated, and then wondering why nothing has changed. So... I'm going to take a new look at this new year resolution stuff. Take it one day at a time, which according to all the "experts" is the best way to do things. Here we go:

Today I resolve to:

1) Make a really good to-do list. Some might even call it a mission statement or goals. Probably best to just get something on paper rather than running things through my head again.

That's it. That's No. 1!

Here's a good rambling start:

Job or business, network of friends, church involvement, yard work, weight loss (FINE! I put it on the list!), play with my children...

First Golf Outing

2009-06-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, it was my supreme pleasure to take Matthew out golfing for the first time. Yes, he's only three and a half years old. Yes, he could barely reach the cart pedals, much less swing a club. No, I'm not planning on creating the next Tiger Woods here. But we had a fantastic time playing nine holes together! Let me explain how...

Amy and I took both children out to a putt-putt course a week earlier, primarily so I could hit some softballs at the batting cages co-located with the putt-putt course. While the kiddos liked hitting the balls into the cups at first, the excitement (and, thus, their interest) waned quickly. By the fourth hole, they had given up on using the putters as intended, instead kicking and throwing the balls into the cups. By the sixth hole, the shoes were off, and it was everything we could do just to keep them going until the finish. Adventure Golf with the big windmills and whatnot will have to wait!

Despite the lack of success at putt-putt, I instinctively knew Matthew would love riding along in the golf cart, munching on snacks, and drinking Daddy's "juice," which was Gatorade's new Strawberry-Kiwi G2, with only 7 g of sugar; it's even better for you than juice! Ah, but where to play on a Sunday afternoon?

Initially, Matthew and I drove north, up to the town of Rantoul. Rantoul used to host Chanute Air Force Base, and of course, the old base golf course is still in operation as the delightfully named Willow Pond. It's not a challenging track, very flat, and not that many trees to speak of. I've played there once before, and I hoped it wouldn't be crowded on a Sunday. Sadly, not only was the clubhouse pro shop abandoned (apparently, they moved to a different location on the course), but driving the 25 miles north put us into rain showers. I'm usually OK with getting a little wet playing golf, but I didn't want to subject Matthew to such conditions. *sigh*

We then drove back to Urbana, which is home to an excellent public course named Stone Creek. The facility is fairly new and the course is always in top-notch condition, and Stone Creek is not far from where we live, but the cost is usually more than I'd like to pay. Yesterday, it was $49 for nine holes plus cart. Yikes!

Still, I was determined to make good use of Zadie's nap time, it wasn't raining in Urbana, and Matthew was game for riding around in the cart. Fair enough. When we checked in at the pro shop, the head pro and instructor, Mickey Finn, actually rang us up. He asked if Matthew was an Illini fan, and when Matthew replied in the negative, Mickey gave him one of the Stone Creek logo balls instead. This, despite Matthew immediately starting to call him Mickey Mouse! He makes connections quickly, this one. Mister Mickey, Mickey Mouse... the lady behind the counter at the snack bar confirmed they also call him Mickey Mouse, so it must have been OK!

I skipped warming up on the driving range, and also decided simply not to keep score. It was enough to be out on a practice round with Matthew, and let the balls fly where they may. I introduced Matthew to several golf-specific terms, including "the Big Dog", water and sand hazard, OB, and even "skulled." No, I did not introduce him to those other four-letter golf terms after a bad swing.

Actually, as we worked our way around the course, Matthew often repeated just about everything I said, as if he was cataloging and filing every utterance for future use. He did try pushing the "go" pedal several times, but his legs just weren't quite long enough. He also couldn't push the "stop" pedal hard enough to set the parking brake, but that was OK. I loved that they had those words on the pedals, and he was able to read and understand what they were.

The other thing Matthew did during the round was keep track of how many balls I lost in the water. Did I mention Stone Creek has some challenging water holes, including the first par 3, which is about a 150 yard carry to the green? OK, so that can be challenging for me; it wouldn't bother other golfers as much. I tried to get him to keep that number of balls lost a secret, but guess what was the FIRST thing he told Mommy upon our return?!

The best part about going to Stone Creek was that we virtually had the course to ourselves on a Sunday afternoon. Sure, there were other golfers about, but we were spaced far enough apart that Matthew and I didn't bother anyone. I didn't have to worry about teaching him how to be quiet during someone's swing or any of the other golf etiquette and rules. Those can come later. I did teach Matthew how to spread the sand and grass seed on the spot where a divot was taken, and he had fun filling in holes left on tee boxes and fairways. He also really loved the ball and club washer attached to the side of the cart, and I let him get as much practice as he wanted.

All in all, it was a wonderful time to spend with Matthew. It was nice and relaxing for me, and he appreciated the father-son time separate from his sister. As Zadie gets older, we'll get to the point where the entire family can golf together on some afternoon as a foursome. I'd love to have it be a regular thing, but only if the kids enjoy playing. I know they will most likely get caught up in other activities like soccer, baseball, music lessons, and whatnot, so the time available for golf might be limited. For now, I've had at least one near-perfect golfing experience, and that is all I can ask.

Happy Earth Day!

2009-04-22T18:29:00.001-07:00

So, after falling off the face of the Earth (or at the very least, seeming like we've done so), Amy and I talked today about several funny incidents or humorous anecdotes that would make for decent blog posts.

The one I want to serve up here is quite simple, really. Before today, I never knew how to present this information in a way that didn't seem stuck-up or condescending. This could even be considered simply bragging in most circles. But it was Amy's good suggestion to make this post be an homage to Earth Day, so here we go.

For at least a few months now, our oldest child, Matthew (all of 3 and 1/2 years old) has paid attention to what we plan to throw away or recycle. He actively looks for the little triangle on the bottom of many plastic containers that tells him the material can be recycled! And then he will take those containers (once we are through with them) and put them into the recycling bin in our house.

Which is a great service, really. Except for those times when Matthew looks at his more durable plastic cups and plates, sees the little recycling triangle on them, and tries to also put those into the recycling bin! We have to tell him, "No, honey. We can still use those! We wash those plates and cups and use them again and again." He gets so excited that he knows about recycling that he wants to recycle EVERYTHING! It's pretty darn cute.

Matthew also knows about the saying "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle", but he doesn't say it all that often.

So, there you go! Happy Earth Day, everybody!

PIE!

2009-02-25T20:31:00.000-08:00

Today my daughter, Zadie, affirmed that she is indeed my daughter. We stopped at a little cafe called Blue Springs (http://foothipies.com/) on our way home from St. Louis Children's Hospital. (Another story...) It's a great little place: family style side dishes, home cooked entrees, and PIE! The good stuff with meringue and homemade crust. We finished our meal and ordered two slices of pie for the four of us to share. Zadie saw it coming, screamed "PIE!", pushed her plate across the table, grabbed it from the waitress and settled down with it in front of her. Too FUNNY! And then of course the fight was on to get even one bite off her plate. I love it!

So yes, my friends, she is my daughter. Forget the entree and pass the pie.

The Hard Way

2009-02-25T07:00:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, when Matthew is being difficult (usually by resisting getting dressed in the morning), I'll throw out the tired old line of, "We can do this the easy way or the hard way!"

He always picks the hard way, too. Now I know why.

Marina

2009-02-17T10:53:00.000-08:00

Our friend, Marina on the Trapeze! Her Mom is so proud, I'm sure!

Best Friends

2009-02-03T14:39:00.001-08:00

Our son has been saying, "'my favorite!' this and 'it's the best!' that" lately. Over the weekend, he and I spent some quality time* together, making pancakes on Saturday morning. According to him, Daddy makes "The Best" pancakes in the world!

* Do people even still use this term to describe everyday activities?

What tickled me during the time we spent, just he and I sitting together (Mom and sister were both sleeping in upstairs) eating pancakes, was his description of his best friends:

At first, Daddy was his best friend! (Good answer!)

Then, he decided that Mommy and Daddy were best friends. (Even better answer!)

His Boyds Bear doll became his new best friend, since Daddy and Mommy were best friends.

And then, later, after we exited the gym and asked him to hold his younger sister's hand in the snow- and ice-covered parking lot, he agreed that he was her best friend.

He has actually really grown up in the last few days or weeks, especially when it comes to taking care of his younger sister. He looks for cars and holds her hand while crossing parking lots, making sure she stays safe. So, he definitely gets that he needs to be the older brother.

Awesome!

We'd rather be at the beach...

2009-01-31T14:21:00.000-08:00

In an attempt to wish winter goodbye, the kids decided to put their swimsuits on for a "swim at the beach" instead of their usual bath time. We think they had a good time, especially with added beach accessories. Of course, getting them out of their suits and into their pajamas was a whole other process! Here's hoping for a short winter...

2009-01-27T19:27:00.000-08:00

Here's the question of the day... just how do you discipline, yet encourage and nurture, a three-year-old boy. Our children are close in age, so we struggle in that we need to help our youngest child do things - put her shoes on, help her up the stairs, carry her to the car - while at the same time we're asking our oldest to do those same things... by himself. Our children see themselves as peers. They giggle, play, fight - together. But when it comes to defining one as older or younger than the other, everything just seems to fall apart. So the crux of the problem... how do my husband and I parent this??

Discipline is by far the hardest part of parenting... at least for today. And it's the most important. It's all fun until someone pokes an eye out, right? My husband and I have tried timeouts, go-to-your-room, loss of privileges, raising our voices, and yes... spanking. I HATE, HATE, HATE spanking. Better to walk away, I know. The thing that's probably the hardest about all of it is the protesting. And that's just a polite word for the screaming, sobbing, crying jags that this little boy can go through. He knows how to push every single button I have. I ask, I ask politely, I warn and then BAM! it all falls apart. I will say that 80% of the time, I don't give in. I just wish on every star that we could just get through a timeout without a huge fit.

Ultimately, I just don't want to kill his loving, confident spirit. He CAN do all kinds of big-boy things. And we remind him frequently of his accomplishments. He truly does know the rules and follows them most of the time. But when, oh, when does "because-I-said-so-just-do-it-now-quit-messing-around-let's-go" ever work???

Odd Thought

2009-01-26T19:52:00.000-08:00

So... I just had this thought. And it's so obvious, I feel stupid - I don't like that word, but it applies. Anyway, I was considering posting photos of my kids, husband, etc. I was over on Facebook looking at family pictures of friends. You get the idea. Anywho... the thought occurred to me that our children will be the most "recorded" generation ever. Their photos are everywhere. The stories of their first steps, cries, successes, are posted on every blog, homepage, social networking sight. I know I feel embarrassed about my own terrible high school photos - what will my children say when they know the whole WORLD can see those terrible photos - FOREVER!?

Talk about a parent's revenge?! This is almost better than grounding, taking away priviledges, loss of keys... ya don't shape up, kiddo, I'm posting those photos from your eight grade graduation. Something to ponder...

Why, oh, why?

2009-01-26T18:57:00.000-08:00

I've been told by friends that writing a blog is very therapeutic, similar to keeping a diary or journal. I've always sucked at those. I start them, go for a few days, then set them aside and forget all about them. In the spirit of trying, I'll give this a go. We'll see. Don't expect much. Writing isn't one of my favorite hobbies. Never has been, probably never will be. I don't feel particularly poetic or good with my words. I do value complete sentences, proper punctuation, real words and spell check. (Why would someone have spell check installed on the computer and then fail to use it. Boggles the mind.)

Today, I took the kids to their gymnastics class... actually, I should say I took the kids for Matthew's gymnastics class. Zadie was NOT happy about being excluded today. Jonathan and I have concluded that as much as we want our children to work together, be friends, share and most importantly: play together and leave us alone for five minutes!, they also need time to be individuals. Thus, the gymnastics class - separated by age groups. We'll see how this works out. My adorable little girl has entered into the terrible twos. We prayed that her sweet disposition would win over this frustrating phase, but no. That, combined with our son's current "trying threes" makes for some great dinners.

That's it. I have nothing to say. Actually, I have so much to say that I don't even know where to start. What would anyone want to know about me? I try not to voice my political or religious opinions. I could chat about hobbies, but most of them are on hold at the moment. My current positions as M.O.M&Z (Momma of Matthew and Zadie) has pushed many of my interests to the back burner for a time. I could also chat about my views on stay at home moms and the damage we women are doing to ourselves by not giving each other permission to make our own parenting and employment decision. I could talk about it all... just where to I begin?

She's Walking!!

2008-05-03T14:03:00.000-07:00

Zadie is WALKING!! We've waited and waited and finally... bam! She's doing it like a pro. She started the week of her birthday and the day after she's zooming across the room. Here's a video (on it's side, sorry!).

Baby Walk On

2007-12-31T05:58:00.000-08:00

Zadie has been studying up! She has watched her big brother run around and has decided that she, too, can walk. Why not?! Everyone else in our family walks - why can't she? Here's a clip of her in our basement...

Keep in mind, she's just shy of being eight months old! Go, Baby, Go!

Merry Christmas

2007-12-25T06:06:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of us at Jonathan's mom's house in Springboro, OH. We had a great Christmas. Santa was VERY kind to Zadie and Matthew.