Here is a video clip of the first couple minutes of Christmas morning showing Kieran discovering and then opening his stocking.
And here is Kieran unwrapping the "big" present, which he exclaims "I hope it is a rocket, I always wanted a rocket" during the clip.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
I am not in that movie!
During Kieran's T.V. time he primarily watches Noggin, a great kids channel that features a lot of education and interactive shows. I have noticed that many times the show will solicit a response from the children watching, and Kieran will not respond, even though I know he knows the answers (I verify this by asking him the answer). The other day I pushed him to respond verbally to the T.V., and his response was an exasperated "Dad, I am not in that movie!."
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Welcome Baby Tristan!
Tristan Riley Tennyson was born on 11/01 today, December 16th. He was 7 lbs, 13 oz and 21 inches long. We are so excited to have this little boy join our family! Maranda and the baby are doing fantastic, thankfully labor went fairly smoothly (if such a thing can be said!). Our midwife was fantastic, a wonderful experience to be sure!
Baby Tristan at just over three hours old. Family friend Deanna is holding him at the start of the video clip.
Video of Kieran "helping" the nurse to move baby Tristan from the birthing room to the recovery room.
Baby Tristan at just over three hours old. Family friend Deanna is holding him at the start of the video clip.
Video of Kieran "helping" the nurse to move baby Tristan from the birthing room to the recovery room.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Belly n Boy Shots
The nice thing about a delayed birth is I am finally getting around to getting all the photo shoots in! Here are my favorite "tummy shots" of Kieran and Maranda.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Monday, December 01, 2008
How was your day?
A typical conversation with Kieran's teacher when picking him up at his day school goes something like, "it was a really good day, he had a lot of fun, played well with the kids, and only missed his mommy when he was going down for a nap."
Kieran's response to "how was your day?" invariably goes something like this, "I cried and cried and didn't have any fun. I didn't do anything!"
It is so predictable it is actually quite amusing now, although for a while I was concerned that he was repressing some feelings that I should be concerned about. However, over time I have learned that I can occasionally "trick" him into talking about some fun activities that he had during the day, or kids he played with. But as soon as he realizes that he is "fessing up," he quickly wraps up with a "but I really just cried!"
Mmmmm, is this a foreshadowing of a surly teenager or just a stage.... :)
Kieran's response to "how was your day?" invariably goes something like this, "I cried and cried and didn't have any fun. I didn't do anything!"
It is so predictable it is actually quite amusing now, although for a while I was concerned that he was repressing some feelings that I should be concerned about. However, over time I have learned that I can occasionally "trick" him into talking about some fun activities that he had during the day, or kids he played with. But as soon as he realizes that he is "fessing up," he quickly wraps up with a "but I really just cried!"
Mmmmm, is this a foreshadowing of a surly teenager or just a stage.... :)
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Peace Truck
So Kieran had been asking Maranda the other day what the words on the bumperstickers on our truck said. She explained that one of them talked about peace, and that peace means no fighting. The topic came up again this morning and here is the story Kieran relayed to me:
"Dad, since our truck has peace words on it, when a white truck comes and wants to fight, after a while it will go away because our truck does not want to fight."
Okay, so far so good, Daddy is nodding approvingly at Kieran's application of an important concept.
"But then, the white truck will find a different truck and they can fight!"
Note the itallicized words were said with much exuberance... Oh well....we got half way there :)
"Dad, since our truck has peace words on it, when a white truck comes and wants to fight, after a while it will go away because our truck does not want to fight."
Okay, so far so good, Daddy is nodding approvingly at Kieran's application of an important concept.
"But then, the white truck will find a different truck and they can fight!"
Note the itallicized words were said with much exuberance... Oh well....we got half way there :)
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Obama Rally in Leesburg
Hearing that Obama was coming to Leesburg, Virginia, I decided to take off work and go up for the rally (Leesburg is about 25 minutes away from our house). After 7 hours of standing and waiting, I managed to get a front row spot for the speech! It was a very good event, with his typical, yet powerful stump speech. I even got a hand shake for my efforts! :)
Here are some of my best shots.
My ugly mug with Obama in the background.
In this short clip of Obama's entrance, the guy next to me yells "we love you" at the end and Obama retorts "I love you back!"
This is a really good clip on the importance of our time in history and the critical issues facing our nation and our world. At the end I pan the crowd briefly.
A short, but very good clip on healthcare. Obama gets personal about his Grandmother and her death from cancer.
Here are some of my best shots.
My ugly mug with Obama in the background.
In this short clip of Obama's entrance, the guy next to me yells "we love you" at the end and Obama retorts "I love you back!"
This is a really good clip on the importance of our time in history and the critical issues facing our nation and our world. At the end I pan the crowd briefly.
A short, but very good clip on healthcare. Obama gets personal about his Grandmother and her death from cancer.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Baby Goat - 3 Days old
The baby goat is three days old and doing great! She has taken to the bottle feeding quite well and is already growing. She is adorable and is just experimenting with running and half jumps. Check out an adorable video of her following Kieran around, she really likes to play with him (but is a little critical of his speed).
The one interesting development is some jealousy from Kieran when mommy or daddy are feeding or taking care of the baby goat. Good preparation for baby Tristan in another 8 weeks!
The one interesting development is some jealousy from Kieran when mommy or daddy are feeding or taking care of the baby goat. Good preparation for baby Tristan in another 8 weeks!
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Baby Goat Surprise!
In the strangest of outcomes, we are now owners of a baby goat. It is a story with mixed emotions, as the nanny goat that has been in our care all summer passed away shortly after delivering this adorable little creature. We are not sure yet what happened, possibly complications trying to deliver a second baby (twins are quite common).
We are not aware that our nanny was pregnant, as we assumed she had given birth this spring based on the milk in her udder. This morning Maranda discovered the baby and quickly tracked down some baby goat formula as well as some goat collostrum. So far we have had pretty good success with the bottle, although as any anxious parent of a newborn we are fretting that she isn't eating enough.
Check out an adorable clip of Kieran snuggling the goat this evening.
We are not aware that our nanny was pregnant, as we assumed she had given birth this spring based on the milk in her udder. This morning Maranda discovered the baby and quickly tracked down some baby goat formula as well as some goat collostrum. So far we have had pretty good success with the bottle, although as any anxious parent of a newborn we are fretting that she isn't eating enough.
Check out an adorable clip of Kieran snuggling the goat this evening.
Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Not Necessarily!
So before bed time tonight Maranda asked Kieran if he wanted a piece of bread for a snack (we were worried that his bean burrito he voraciously consumed for dinner would not settle terribly well). Kieran said yes! As Daddy headed to the kitchen to get him his snack, I asked him if he wanted it toasted? He paused for a second, then responded with a long and dramatic "Not Necessarilyyyyy......" Wow, that is a first!!
Monday, October 06, 2008
Pumpkin Patch
We took Kieran and his friend Keenan to a pumpkin patch a week ago, here are some of the best shots. Kieran is in the gold shirt.
Searching for the "best" pumpkin
Proudly showing off their finds.
Exploring the corn maze
Checking out some old tractors
Video clip of the boys wandering the pumpkin patch.
Corn maze fun
The "cow train"
Searching for the "best" pumpkin
Proudly showing off their finds.
Exploring the corn maze
Checking out some old tractors
Video clip of the boys wandering the pumpkin patch.
Corn maze fun
The "cow train"
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Tristan Riley Tennyson
Its official, our second boy will be named Tristan Riley Tennyson. We are eagerly awaiting his expected arrival in the 2nd week of December, pray Godspeed for Maranda's sake!
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Kieran's 3rd Birthday Party
At long last Kieran's third birthday party arrived! It was a lot of fun, see below for our best shots.
Kieran & Maranda to the right.
Car sandwiches!
Dance Party!
Kieran & Maranda to the right.
Car sandwiches!
Dance Party!
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Imagination at the Cusp of Three
As Kieran arrives at his third birthday in just over a week, we have really noticed how vivid his imagination has become. From pretending to be a dinosaur, shark, or deer, to creating imaginary situations, scenarios, and outcomes for daily events ("Dad, the vacuum has a flat tire....but don't worry, I will fix it").
The most difficult aspect of his increasing imagination is a stronger sense of fear. It is hard as a parent to see him begin to grapple with a self-aware sense of fear, perhaps one could call it existential fear? It is different from the instinctive fear that he displayed as a very young child, grabbing Mommy or Daddy when he heard a loud noise, or hiding his face when he saw something unusual or strange. This fear is more an awareness of his smallness in the world, an awareness that life has not only wonderful things to explore, but strange and threatening things as well.
Sometimes his fears are hard not to laugh out loud at, so silly and even cute they seem. Like when he was freaked out by the owl poster in his room, and called Mommy to come console him. Maranda quickly repositioned him so he couldn't see the poster and told him that he could sleep now. In a tiny, quavering voice he responded, "he can still see the top of my head," placing his hands up on his head, "he thinks I'm a mouse!" Only by pulling the poster down was Kieran able to sleep.
Lately Kieran has been afraid of ghosts, which can be various objects in his room, or just a perceived "bad ghost" that he needs Daddy to frighten away. One of the best pieces of advice I read in a parenting journal was to reassure him at his own level, without trying to convince him that his fear is baseless. So instead of trying to convince him that there is no ghost in the room (my natural instinct), instead I position his "safety" animals around him in a formidable triangle (a triangle being one of the strongest formations). His big Panda bear watches from behind, his Kung Fu skills at the ready. A large rabbit that looks more like a dog lays next to the bed rail, with his attentive ears listening for the least sound of trouble. Finally "Alexa Dog," a large, plush German Shorthaired Pointer, lays on top of Kieran and a myriad of smaller stuffed animals, ready to growl at any intruders.
Surprisingly Kieran is reassured by this tactic, even without long explanations regarding the fictional nature of ghosts. In fact, he is not even the most helpless in the bed. While he is guarded by his three big safety animals, I have entrusted him with the safe keeping of the lesser stuffed animals in his bed, who snuggle next to him for warmth and safety. This crew is large and varied, and includes a white baby seal (very soft), a yellow baby duck in a bath robe, a doll named 'brina (short for sabrina), several teddy bears, a tree frog, a small grey hippo, two stuffed penguins, a stuffed caterpillar, and miscellaneous other creatures. He takes his role as caretaker seriously, reassuring the small animals while holding them in a huge hug around his body.
Tonight we had a brief concern regarding a large "hand" that was appearing on his ceiling above him after I went out of the room. Leaving his bedside lamp on for a little while was the agreed upon resolution, as Kieran felt confident that the hand would not come back with the light on. He has now quickly fallen asleep, fears vanquished for one more night.
The most difficult aspect of his increasing imagination is a stronger sense of fear. It is hard as a parent to see him begin to grapple with a self-aware sense of fear, perhaps one could call it existential fear? It is different from the instinctive fear that he displayed as a very young child, grabbing Mommy or Daddy when he heard a loud noise, or hiding his face when he saw something unusual or strange. This fear is more an awareness of his smallness in the world, an awareness that life has not only wonderful things to explore, but strange and threatening things as well.
Sometimes his fears are hard not to laugh out loud at, so silly and even cute they seem. Like when he was freaked out by the owl poster in his room, and called Mommy to come console him. Maranda quickly repositioned him so he couldn't see the poster and told him that he could sleep now. In a tiny, quavering voice he responded, "he can still see the top of my head," placing his hands up on his head, "he thinks I'm a mouse!" Only by pulling the poster down was Kieran able to sleep.
Lately Kieran has been afraid of ghosts, which can be various objects in his room, or just a perceived "bad ghost" that he needs Daddy to frighten away. One of the best pieces of advice I read in a parenting journal was to reassure him at his own level, without trying to convince him that his fear is baseless. So instead of trying to convince him that there is no ghost in the room (my natural instinct), instead I position his "safety" animals around him in a formidable triangle (a triangle being one of the strongest formations). His big Panda bear watches from behind, his Kung Fu skills at the ready. A large rabbit that looks more like a dog lays next to the bed rail, with his attentive ears listening for the least sound of trouble. Finally "Alexa Dog," a large, plush German Shorthaired Pointer, lays on top of Kieran and a myriad of smaller stuffed animals, ready to growl at any intruders.
Surprisingly Kieran is reassured by this tactic, even without long explanations regarding the fictional nature of ghosts. In fact, he is not even the most helpless in the bed. While he is guarded by his three big safety animals, I have entrusted him with the safe keeping of the lesser stuffed animals in his bed, who snuggle next to him for warmth and safety. This crew is large and varied, and includes a white baby seal (very soft), a yellow baby duck in a bath robe, a doll named 'brina (short for sabrina), several teddy bears, a tree frog, a small grey hippo, two stuffed penguins, a stuffed caterpillar, and miscellaneous other creatures. He takes his role as caretaker seriously, reassuring the small animals while holding them in a huge hug around his body.
Tonight we had a brief concern regarding a large "hand" that was appearing on his ceiling above him after I went out of the room. Leaving his bedside lamp on for a little while was the agreed upon resolution, as Kieran felt confident that the hand would not come back with the light on. He has now quickly fallen asleep, fears vanquished for one more night.
Saturday, September 06, 2008
Garden Update
Every year that we garden we learn a little bit more about the soil, the plants, and especially the pests that are particularly abundant in the warm and wet Virginian climate! Over the past couple years we have battled vine borers, powdery mildew, and squash bugs. This summer we lost our squash plants to squash bug infestations not once, but twice! The beautiful squash and zucchini patch in the picture below was our third replanting attempt in early July! Thank goodness we appear to be winning this time, thanks in part to our relentless effort of handpicking the squash bugs, spraying the base of the plants, and reduced bug activity later in the season. Now if only we can get our first generation of plants to survive next year!!!
This is what it is all about, tender squash waiting to be steamed!
Some volunteer pumpkins from our compost pile that we transplanted into one end of our strawberry bed have done fantastic, we have several rapidly growing pumpkins that we hope to harvest for October holidays, we just hope we can still get around the garden the way these things are growing!
Other end of the strawberry patch with our recently planted everbearing strawberries (Quinault cultivar).
Maranda picking cherry tomatoes. Our tomatoes have done very well this year, although the dry summer did slow down fruit production quite a bit, even with our best efforts at keeping their "feet" wet.
Pepper plants had no problems with the hot, dry summer!
A welcome guest in our garden, enjoying the wet mulch under the tomatoes.
Some happy gardeners looking quite proud of their efforts. I should note that Kieran is already a bonafide horticulturist, he inspects plants for bugs and then asks us if they are the "good or bad" kind, and points out damaged or dying leaves, "sad" plants, etc.
A day's harvest. Radish leaves are poking out the back, their are fresh eggs under the tomatoes (with a cloth cushion that Maranda improvised).
A fair winning bell pepper that Master Gardener Kieran is showing off.
A garden is a lot of work and each year I eagerly start out, only to ask myself about a month into the effort if it is really worth it? For us, though, the answer is always yes. It makes for wonderful family times most evenings as we gather in the garden to water, weed, and harvest as a family. There is invariably some kind of discovery for us to wonder at together, and eating the healthy and fresh vegetables brings a kind-of satisfaction that you can't measure monetarily. Realistically I doubt we save any money by growing our own vegetables, and probably expend a little if you count the time and effort as well as equipment, but it is cheaper than cable and a whole lot more satisfying! :)
This is what it is all about, tender squash waiting to be steamed!
Some volunteer pumpkins from our compost pile that we transplanted into one end of our strawberry bed have done fantastic, we have several rapidly growing pumpkins that we hope to harvest for October holidays, we just hope we can still get around the garden the way these things are growing!
Other end of the strawberry patch with our recently planted everbearing strawberries (Quinault cultivar).
Maranda picking cherry tomatoes. Our tomatoes have done very well this year, although the dry summer did slow down fruit production quite a bit, even with our best efforts at keeping their "feet" wet.
Pepper plants had no problems with the hot, dry summer!
A welcome guest in our garden, enjoying the wet mulch under the tomatoes.
Some happy gardeners looking quite proud of their efforts. I should note that Kieran is already a bonafide horticulturist, he inspects plants for bugs and then asks us if they are the "good or bad" kind, and points out damaged or dying leaves, "sad" plants, etc.
A day's harvest. Radish leaves are poking out the back, their are fresh eggs under the tomatoes (with a cloth cushion that Maranda improvised).
A fair winning bell pepper that Master Gardener Kieran is showing off.
A garden is a lot of work and each year I eagerly start out, only to ask myself about a month into the effort if it is really worth it? For us, though, the answer is always yes. It makes for wonderful family times most evenings as we gather in the garden to water, weed, and harvest as a family. There is invariably some kind of discovery for us to wonder at together, and eating the healthy and fresh vegetables brings a kind-of satisfaction that you can't measure monetarily. Realistically I doubt we save any money by growing our own vegetables, and probably expend a little if you count the time and effort as well as equipment, but it is cheaper than cable and a whole lot more satisfying! :)
Friday, September 05, 2008
August Camping Trips
Well, we have a lot of fun camping in August, finally getting some time to put some pictures up. Our first trip was to Trout Pond in West Virginia, a small, family friendly campground in the rolling hills and hardwood forests of WV. Kieran had a fantastic time and was shaking with excitement as we unloaded the gear and setup the tent. This trip he got his FIRST SLEEPING BAG and was absolutely thrilled! It was a wonderful time with dear friends, although the three days went by far to quickly for me (as it always does).
Here are our best shots (our second camping trip is after these photos).
click on any image for larger image
The beach at the small lake, love the richness of the colors in this shot (hat tip to Maranda). Kieran is in the center.
Kieran straining to carry his load of water, his friend Mike in the background joining the cause.
More water carrying with his friend Keenan.
What used to be a sandcastle!
A boy pile, Kieran and the three Doan boys. Kieran's head is the bottom right. Looks like baby C.J. needed a snuggle!
Cute shot, kudo's again to Maranda.
Kieran and Keenan playing together.
Kieran and Ethan playing together in matching outfits!
Canoe time! From left to right, Sam, Keenan, Kieran, and Ethan.
Our second camping trip was to the Lake Erie shoreline in Marblehead, Ohio. We had a great time with friends Maggie, Schuyler, and their son Levi. Although Levi and Kieran had not seen each other for over 8 months, they instantly bonded over their mutual love of monster trucks! Levi even brough the ICE CRUSHER, which was a new one for Kieran and had him enraptured immediately. We were also able to attend our friends Joel and Kate's wedding which was a beautiful and meaningful affair.
Here are some of our best shots:
A happy boy watching the CARS movie on Daddy's iPod.
Oops, boy had a time out discussion with Daddy...
At the wedding reception.
Levi and Kieran just floatin' around.
Levi and Kieran attacking Ken.
Here are our best shots (our second camping trip is after these photos).
click on any image for larger image
The beach at the small lake, love the richness of the colors in this shot (hat tip to Maranda). Kieran is in the center.
Kieran straining to carry his load of water, his friend Mike in the background joining the cause.
More water carrying with his friend Keenan.
What used to be a sandcastle!
A boy pile, Kieran and the three Doan boys. Kieran's head is the bottom right. Looks like baby C.J. needed a snuggle!
Cute shot, kudo's again to Maranda.
Kieran and Keenan playing together.
Kieran and Ethan playing together in matching outfits!
Canoe time! From left to right, Sam, Keenan, Kieran, and Ethan.
Our second camping trip was to the Lake Erie shoreline in Marblehead, Ohio. We had a great time with friends Maggie, Schuyler, and their son Levi. Although Levi and Kieran had not seen each other for over 8 months, they instantly bonded over their mutual love of monster trucks! Levi even brough the ICE CRUSHER, which was a new one for Kieran and had him enraptured immediately. We were also able to attend our friends Joel and Kate's wedding which was a beautiful and meaningful affair.
Here are some of our best shots:
A happy boy watching the CARS movie on Daddy's iPod.
Oops, boy had a time out discussion with Daddy...
At the wedding reception.
Levi and Kieran just floatin' around.
Levi and Kieran attacking Ken.
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