Sorry Aunt Joy

I was given a guilt trip recently about not posting any updates.  Granted the guilt trip didn't actually work because it was about two week ago, but it's the thought that counts.

My hope is to update this bad boy either once a day or once every couple of days with some low quality posts. Just finished a class in which I was writing 1000 words a week on State and Local Government, so that's been my most recent excuse for not posting anything.  I'm off work for a couple of weeks (spring break number 2! year round schedule rocks).  I'm also unable to workout this week because I screwed up by back again. I've also started my strict eating plan. (for which I've received some awesome looks for. "you eat like that on purpose?" "Tuna? No sauce on chicken? Why?") No working out, sore back, no food that actually tastes good, needless to say I'm a whole lot of fun to be around.

Kate just came off her stint as acting president of the USDA rural development business program of the state of Iowa.  Sounds more impressive than it actually was, considering I made the title part up. She was acting head of something, which meant more work and the same pay.  Awesome!

Lea has been fun.  She's 2. She acts like she's two.  This morning she either asked me for a cracker, or called me a cracker.  Not quiet sure.  She's also developed a little attitude, whether she realizes it or not. "Yes, daaad." "Yes moooom." More things later as I remember them.  She is also scared of bugs now.  Not sure why or where this came from.  She hides behind my back when she sees a gnat.  I've had several talks about toughing up and that bugs are not scary (unless they are giant and in your bathroom, right Joy?).  This has been great though if I want to get her inside.  I just point out a couple of bugs, or a spider (real or imagined) and Lea freaks out and wants to go in where it safe.  Not all bad.

We are headed to the zoo today, and hopefully we remember the camera so I can post some pictures.

Fumble Drills!

I'm in the process of preparing Lea for sports. We've been working on fumble drills lately. She, or I, drop the ball. We wait. I yell "Fumble!" we both dive to cover it. The a scrum ensues and we fight, scratch and claw for the ball. She usually wins, and we repeat. I guess this is the upside to having a kid I keep hearing about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Gz39hfzJrE

Coherent Photos to Accompany Incoherent Thoughts

Here are a few more things that Lea's learned in the past few months:

She learned to change Scout's boppy (diaper)...

Lea also learned how to be a very serious panda for Halloween...
She also learned how to say "CHEESE!" for the camera...

She also learned how to put on her shoes...

She also learned how to try to avoid Santa...

No coherent thoughts

December.

We've gone 3 full months without a single coherent thought. Not to say there weren't times when I had good things to post. Here then gone. I blame school. And Lea. And the Internet.

Here are things that we've (Kate and I) have said in the past three months and or random occurrences that I have remembered. Hopefully this serves as a highlight reel, granted there will be no actual highlights.

Lea don't put the light bulb in your mouth.

Lea don't stand on your Micky DVD.

Lea don't stand on the laptop.

Lea don't climb the cabinets.

Lea we don't destroy things at daycare.

Lea Santa is not the doctor, no need to freak out. (more on that once the picture is uploaded)

"Baby!", Lea. "Do you see a baby?", Dad. "Noooooooooooooo" Lea giving Dad a look like he's an idiot.

Lea-1, Christmas Ornaments-0 (so far)

Lea don't steal the kitty.

Lea don't sit directly in front of the tv.

Lea now sits in a booster rather than I high chair.

Lea thinks she is skilled in the use of both the broom and vacuum. Both have become nap time jobs.

Lea believes the toothbrush is the greatest invention in the history of mankind.

Follow-up, she also believes that toothpaste is the greatest food ever invented.

The plastic pumpkin is not just for Halloween.

Candy takes very little time to become addicted to.

Lea is a very serious panda. (Picture uploaded eventually)

Lea talks. A lot.

Lea thinks all strangers will take her from her greatest love. (Answer: Mom)

Finally, until I remember to post again. Here's another video. Taken today. Was much more loud and annoying in person.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gYGSXbB39I

Pittsburgh, Bipedal Motion, Teeth

Hello,

It's the end of July. Lets review.

Lea is now walking on her own. See video: (far warning you have to turn your head sideways when you watch this video because I'm not smart.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dupgETCfQw

The whole walking thing started about a week ago. She just decided that she was going to throw off the shackles of crawling and rise like the primates of old...or yore...or whenever our hairier forefathers stopped drooling on themselves and started walking like real Americans. (That's right, I said it) Granted there is still the occasional drooling on herself. I'm sure that will go away before her 18th birthday. If not, we'll find some stylish bibs.

We spend some time recently on the road. We drove to and from Pittsburgh. That's from Des Monies. In case your wondering that is transversing Illinois, Indiana and Ohio (with a quick roll through West Virginia on the way back) (And no I will not make a joke about hill people in West Virginia, that's low brow people, nothing but high class and too many commas in this blog)

In Pittsburgh Lea got the chance to hang out with her cousins Sam and Lauren. (Son and daughter of Pam [My...Steve's cousin] and Phil [Steve's friend from high school who is now married to his cousin Pam and happens to be a doctor]. Yeah, I know doctors, two of them. Who wants to touch me? I digress. It was good times, we really enjoyed it. Lea didn't freak out too much in the car as well. She decided that she needed to check out the shower in one the hotel rooms. This brings us to our second video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ohWNJt2J3I

And no we did not force her into the shower. She entered on her own accord.

Also, this past weekend we had the chance to brave nature with Kate's family. I'm not the most "outdoorsie" person in the world. I tend to enjoy nature from the inside, preferably from my couch and nature being whatever is on the discovery channel. Okay, when I say we braved nature, it was from an air conditioned cabin/house. Actually it was a remarkable structure, which happened to be rounded. Amazing acoustics. Would have been fun to to play playstation with surround sound hooked up. That would make nature come alive!

Back to where we were. The house was in Decorah, IA. Which is in the northeastern corner of Iowa. Very pretty. Luther College is there, which I think is a rival of BVU (school that graduated me into the world of adulthood), so I think I'm supposed to hate them. Really had a hard time getting wound up about it. If you don't count all the rocks I threw (with my mind).

Lea did well with this trip from the most part. She was picky about who she'd warm up to and who she'd avoid. She also is not a huge fan large groups of people, so that made her a bit pickier.

I'm sure I'm forgetting more than I'm remembering. Pictures below!



Lea and Lauren. Lauren is only 6 months old and she's already as tall as Lea. Her mom is 6'2". She may grow up tall. Just a guess.

Katy, Lea and Steve with Pittsburgh in the background.

Lauren and Lea playing. Did I mention how tall Lauren is? She's also super happy. So is her brother Sam. Sam is the only kid I've ever met who happily marched himself to bed for a nap. And slept for 2 hours. Unreal.


Downtown Pittsburgh. Cool place. Need to go back.

June = Whole Lotta Dad Daughter Time

Happy summer everyone (granted I believe the first day of summer is technichally June 20th [according to google that is]),

I hope everyone is enjoying their summer break. What? Not everyone gets a few months off during the hot time of the year? Well be sure to know that I, so far, have been enjoying my break for the both of us. Assuming only one, or anyone, is reading this thing.

Update from the Sand household:

I am currently taking a Macroeconomics course because the State of Iowa believes that a Masters in Social Sciences is not proficient enough training to grant me an all social studies educators license. So that's fun. I've been telling myself that I don't care about my grade as all as I pass, which means I get to obsess over all the minute details to ensure that I ace the stupid course. Stupid learning.

Kate is still doing something for the government. If you remember a month or two ago, the federales almost shut the whole thing down-which would have given her a nice little unpaid vacation. Alas, the machine continues to chog along. No break for Katy. She's also conintuing to hound me to post on the blog, which must have worked because here I am typing away.

Lea. Okay here's the reason everyone is read. The kid is growing and growing. Still built like Kate with my head. I'm still thinking that's going to be awesome when she's in middle school. She's still not walking yet, but very interested in the idea. She can stand on her own, and balance without help for a decent chuck of time. Will take some steps by herself, but crawling is her perferred method of travel. She will still drag her head while she crawls, not as much as she used to. I attempted to snap a picture of it, but everytime she'd look up and come after the camera. I've got loads of pictures of Lea reaching out.

The remaining 6 teeth are all pushing through at the same time. This causes Lea to turn into the little ball of hate (which I'm told is the nickname of her Aunt Joy, so she's in good company) at times. On the bright side I'm told that this will be it for teeth for awhile--but at this rate her wisdom teeth will be in by the time she's three.

She's also gained a little interest in watching TV (as you'll see from a couple of pictures below). She gets pretty excited for Sesame Street. She really doesn't have a favorite part, nor does she pay attention for the entire show. She kind checks in and out, but is very happy for 5 minute periods. She's also started (as of yesterday and this morning) sitting on my chest to watch TV. I think of how my older brothers used to do the same thing when I was younger. Funny how life is cyclical.

Currently she's taking a nap, I'm hopefully that I can finish and post before she awakes. Here are some pictures from the last week or so.

Here's Lea is Lea looking cute in a new dress. When I picked her up from daycare this day she was in a onesie. Turns out she was stripping and crawling around in her diaper only. Just what a father wants to her about his daughter. Lea and I had a long talk afterwards. I'd talk, she'd get books for me to read her. I think we had a break through.

This is my "Lea looking cute with dad on the couch" picture. She likes sitting on the coach with us. Sits like an adult. It's weird.

Lea relaxing watching TV. She did this herself. This is not faked or Photoshoped. Turns out her and dad have at least one thing in common.

Same picture better angle. Fantastic.

Very Hunger Lea-piller

Happy May!


Lea has decided that she is going to eat us out of house and home. She currently eats three suppers. After her supper, she proceeds to thief Kate and my supper. It's ridiculus. She's never full. Amazing. Here are some pictures from Lea's second supper tonight.



Spagetti plus meat sauce is awesome. Add Lea to the mix and it becomes epic. Here are the results.

Here are two pictures from Easter at Grandma and Grandpa Evans farm. There's more on the way. The first one proves that Lea is evil. Seriously. Pure evil. (they get less evil as they grow up and learn "morals") The last one is just cute.