Love of Life: Entries & Comments

A Whirlwind Spring and News

Chris — Sun, 27 May 2012 15:08:00 +0000

It's been a busy spring! We've done a bunch of things: For example, Kyra and Luca went to the House on the Rock with Nick and LP:

Luca liked the carousel quite a bit. It sounded like a good way to wear him out!

Bucky Badger came to Luca's school one day. I won't post photos of it because there are other kids in the photo, and I don't want to post other kids here without their parents' permission. Here's Luca on a bike instead:

I got to hear Neil deGrasse Tyson, a famous astrophysicist and speaker, give a speech at the University:

The speech was awesome. His speech was similar to the one he gave before the Senate regarding science and transportation. This video about the most astounding thing he knows is also quite awesome.

We've also gone to Olbrich a few times:

Kyra is so beautiful. I think those were taken on Mother's Day.

We also went to Devil's Lake for Kyra's birthday and Memorial Day weekend. Kyra told Luca about the story behind the lake's name, where two giants had a fight and threw rocks at each other. I tried to teach him that the glaciers dropped the rocks when they melted, but that's not quite as good a story, so it hasn't stuck as well. Kyra and I also got to go out to a concert for our anniversary and dancing for her birthday. It was a great weekend.

We also have some big news on three other fronts: First, I've decided to take a new job with a local marketing firm, as a Data Scientist. This is a pretty cool opportunity in a relatively new field of data analysis, using some of the same technologies behind IBM's Watson computer, the computer that bested two top-rank Jeopardy winners. I'll be learning the programming languages Python and R, and I'm really excited to put these skills to commercial and research use.

Second, we've completed the foster care process, and we can start accepting children just about any time. We've decided, for the moment, to start in August, which will give us a bit more time to prepare. Further, our plan is to eventually adopt, but that may not be an option with the first or subsequent children. It may take some time to get to that point.

Just so everyone is aware, we cannot explicitly tell anyone anything about the new child in our care (other than the child's name, of course), not even that the child is a foster child. All we can say is, "This child is in our care." Further, we cannot post photos of or information about the child online, so we may not be able to post any photos with people since the child may be included, and we won't be able to post many details about what we're up to.

I still plan on updating our site with as much (and as little detail about the child) as we can, but it may be even more difficult in the future. So bear with us as we go through this next transition. We would also appreciate everyone's patience and support, including going along with the restrictions about posting photos and information online.

Third, we've decided to try to find a new place to live. We put our condo up for sale, and we hope to find a larger place to accommodate our expanding family. It would also be nice to find a place where Kyra could do childcare in the home, if she decides to do that some day.

There are a lot of exciting new things in store for our family! Stay tuned!

Here's another song for you lovebirds. Happy a...

Anonymous — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:21:13 +0000

Here's another song for you lovebirds. Happy anniversary and happy Kyra's birthday soon (tomorrow?)! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jFsEhn8lNCU "It'll still be you" by Neal and Leandra

- Marie

Forever Dancing

Kyra S. — Wed, 23 May 2012 19:38:00 +0000

I want to be that old couple someday: young at heart, still dancing. Happy anniversary, my love. You make my life a song.

Values

Chris — Sun, 06 May 2012 18:07:00 +0000

Kyra and I have been going through the process to start foster care, and it requires extensive documentation of our lives and interviews about our childhood, personalities, and relationships. During this process, Kyra mentioned the fact that I have a diagram regarding my values.

I wrote this diagram a few months ago when Kyra was expressing some very low self-esteem. I thought it would help her understand how I feel about her by first explaining my values in general. Here is the first diagram:

In this diagram, the central tenet is one of Love. From there, all other values arise, including valuing Life as a rare and valuable phenomenon, nonviolence, collaboration, education, health, and supportive relationships. And more specifically, I wrote this diagram about Kyra:

I value Kyra for her kindness, wisdom, creativity, beauty, dedication, and integrity. She's a good cook, mother, wife, and teacher. She is loving, compassionate, gentle, intelligent, and honest. I love when she sings and when she dances. She's a good listener, and she has a great sense of humor.

May is Kyra appreciation month, with Mother's Day, our Anniversary, and her Birthday. Kyra, Luca and I love you dearly, and we wouldn't be the same without you. You make use whole. Happy Kyra Appreciation Month.

I'm glad your kitty is doing well! I'm pre...

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 07:42:38 +0000

I'm glad your kitty is doing well! I'm preparing to take ours to the vet for a bite that isn't healing, so I hope it goes well for him too. It's so sad when the pets we love don't work out for our home, so I'm glad Oberon is having a good time at his new home too.

- Marie

Late Winter 2012

Chris — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 09:16:00 +0000

The weather lately has been quite surprising: Snow; warm, summer-like weather; and now cold and rainy. Very strange. Today's a gloomy, inside-day. It's cold and dreary, and I'm looking back through our photos.

Just a few weeks ago, there was a lot of snow on the ground. We went skating (a first for me, I think, and Luca) with Carla and Dan:

Skating was quite frustrating for Luca, so we ended up going sledding toward the end, before the sun fully set:

I also found a photo of Luca and Oberon:

Unfortunately, this is the last photo we will have of Oberon in our home. Mars and Oberon had been getting along, up to a point. They had started play-fighting, and everyone who saw it said it was normal. It made me nervous, though. One day I noticed that Mars had some scabs, and I decided that we needed to de-claw Oberon to avoid further injury, so I set up an appointment at the vet for surgery. However, a week before the surgery, something terrible happened.

For those with a faint heart, please skip the section in the following section. Simply put, Oberon and Mars were play fighting and Oberon seriously injured Mars.

We woke up one morning and all of us were cuddling on the couch: me, Kyra, Luca, and Oberon. Just Mars was missing, and I called him over to join us. He jumped up on the couch, and Kyra reached over to pick him up. She gasped, "Oh my god" or something like that, upon seeing Mars' side: It was cut open with a 3-inch by 2-inch gash in his skin. I believe the epidermal layer had ripped open, probably from a scratch from Oberon.

We were horrified. I picked up Mars and put him down on the carpet to examine the wound. It looked clean, and it wasn't bleeding. Oddly, I didn't find any blood anywhere in the house. I bandaged the wound and isolated Mars in our bathroom to avoid any further injury. I tried to call the vet, but it was only about 7:00 AM, and they opened at 8:00. We thought about calling the emergency vet, but since he wasn't in a life-or-death circumstance, we decided to wait until the vet opened. Once they did, they scheduled an emergency surgery to stitch the wound.

Now recall how we adopted Mars: He was a stray cat found under a porch, probably dumped by someone who didn't want to take care of kittens. He had 3 or 4 diseases, and required quite a few medications and long isolation to clear up, before he could interact with our very young son, Luca. He continued to have skin problems, in which his skin would literally peel off in chunks. We discovered he simply had fragile skin, and de-clawed his back claws, an unusual procedure done to avoid self-injury.

So it was risky stitching Mars' wound: It was possible that the stitches would just pop out. In fact, that's what happened: Every day after the surgery, I had to take Mars to the vet to review the stitches. In the first day, he probably licked some of the stitches off, so we wrapped his torso in a very large bandage. Then the bandage came off somehow, and he opened a new, smaller wound by biting/licking or scrapping up against the wall. This new wound required surgical glue to hold it together so it would heal. He's been wearing a head cone since to avoid further self-injury.

With such a serious injury, we were worried that Mars would suffer from an infection or that the wound would not heal because of his fragile skin, and we would have to euthanize him. This was incredibly sad for all of us. At a few points during the next week, Kyra and I were so upset we broke into tears.

Given the situation, we decided that it was too much of a risk to keep Oberon with us. We just couldn't risk the possibility that they would be play-fighting and this would happen again. Our back-up plan was to have Kyra's mother, Linda, or her sister, Sabrina, take care of Oberon. We called and discussed it with all parties, and they decided that Sabrina and her girls would take Oberon.

The injury took place on a Tuesday or a Wednesday, and Kyra planned on taking Luca and Oberon up to the Twin Cities that same weekend. In the meantime, Mars was isolated in our bathroom and continued to be for a week or two. Kyra visited her family in Minnesota and Oberon fit right in with Sabrina's family, and I stayed home all weekend with Mars, tending his wound.

Here's Mars, isolated and sleeping in our bathroom:

I took this during the weekend I was home alone with him. It was very depressing faced with the possibility that I might have to euthanize him while my family was away. Kyra and Luca said goodbye before the left. It was heart-wrenching.

Fortunately, Mars has been healing, very slowly, with some minor incidents since. However, along with other, normal life stresses, the last few weeks have been very hard. But it's getting better. Mars is nearly fully healed, with a large scab and a small open wound. He doesn't have to be isolated or in a head cone all the time. Oberon appears to be fitting in well with his new family.

I would like to take a moment to thank our veterinarians at the Companion Animal Hospital in Madison, WI. Dr. Kay (rhymes with sky) has been incredibly patient, compassionate, and flexible, and Dr. Hospel has been very helpful in the aftermath. Aside from the surgery charge, we paid very little for all of the follow-up visits, and for that I am very thankful. Here's a more recent photo of our "little lion" as a thank you:

Keeping Your Love

Kyra S. — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 09:51:00 +0000

For Valentines Day, Chris got Luca a book called "No Matter What". It is about two foxes, Big and Small. Big explains to small that no matter how naughty he is, whether Big is far away, or Small turns into a crocodile, they will love each other no matter what.

On Thursday, I had a late meeting, and got home just after Chris had finished reading this book to Luca and put him to bed. I went in to kiss him good night. He sat up in bed, gave me a hug and said, "Mama, when you go to a meeting, does your love go with you?" I smiled and replied, "No honey, it stays right here with you." Then he said something that would melt any mother's heart: "Ok Mama, I will keep your love... in my heart."

I have the adorablest little boy.

Explaining Pluto's Status to a Three-Year-Old

Chris — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

I received a solar system kit from Nana for Christmas.

Now Pluto did come with the kit, but I didn't add him. Why? Because he's not a planet anymore, based on the new definition by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).

Luca asked the same question, and I had to think for a minute how I could explain this to him. There are a few main components of what makes up a planet (simplified):

Orbit: All planets orbit a star.
Shape: Each planet is nearly round.
Neighborhood: Each planet has cleared its orbital neighborhood of other stuff.

The last criteria excludes Pluto from planethood, since there's still a lot of junk in its orbital path.

So I told Luca, "Pluto isn't a planet because he didn't clean up his room."

By the way, here are some new, spectacular images of Earth:

The New Blue Marble West
The New Blue Marble East

Christmas 2011

Chris — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 14:01:00 +0000

Now that we've had some time to relax from our busy winter schedule, I've finally had a moment to compile some photos from Christmas.

Christmas 2011

So what kept us so busy?

I had my 30th birthday in early December, we attended Kyra's work holiday party, Nana and Lilliana visited for Luca's preschool holiday party and for the weekend. Then there was Christmas, and during the time off I helped with a political campaign doing data entry. We had Christmas at home, at Kenny's, and with my extended family and the Great-Grandparents' home.

New Year's was spent with Nick and LP, although we didn't stay up too late, and shortly after we went up to the Twin Cities for the first in-person meeting for the non-profit organization Kyra and I are volunteering for. I spent most of the time with the kids keeping them quite while the others met and discussed the organization charter and lots of other stuff.

Luca and I spent the day together on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and we had a swimming lesson and then to the capitol to celebrate the holiday with Wisconsin Public Radio, in particular, Jonathan Overby from Higher Ground, and many other people. We listened to a Scottish band, a trumpet, and a gospel choir. That weekend, Kyra and I went to the first symphony of the year, and were blown away by the violinist, Augustin Hadelich, especially his performance of Paganini's 24th Caprice.

So yeah, it's been busy. Good lord. Kyra started her class again, and just finished another meeting with the non-profit today. I hope things will calm down soon!

Our New Family Member

Chris — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:18:00 +0000

We have a lot of posts to catch up on. It's been a busy holiday season!

Before we get to the Thanksgiving and Christmas madness, I wanted to introduce our new family member: Oberon the cat.

He's named after the moon of Uranus, which is named after the mythical fairy king. Most of you may remember the name from Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream.

So how did this come about? Well, Kyra started talking about getting another cat, and then one day said, "Why don't we go to the shelter to visit the animals - you know, just for something to do?" Right. I knew then that we were going to get another cat.

Oberon is a feisty little cat, and we're still trying to get him and Mars to get along. So for most of the time the two are segregated. They get to play once in a while to get used to each other. Otherwise, he likes to snuggle, and just like any other kitten, has a lot of energy.

Welcome Oberon!

Don't encourage him! It's not hilarious, ...

Kyra S. — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 14:12:50 +0000

Don't encourage him! It's not hilarious, its just bad! And when Luca tried to put me on one, his response was actually "That program is reserved for the super user!"

This is pretty darn hilarious.

Matt G. — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 22:12:08 +0000

This is pretty darn hilarious.

123Magic

Chris — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:25:00 +0000

Today, Luca tried to use 123 Magic on Kyra by putting her on 1. For those of you not familiar with 123 Magic, it's a great way to get kids to stop misbehaving. Each number is a warning, and when they get to 3 there is ALWAYS a consequence.

At any rate, here's what Luca's attempt to use 123 Magic looked like:

luca@home: ~$ 123magic mama 1
Sorry, user luca is not allowed to execute '/usr/bin/123magic' as parent on home.

For those of you who do not use Linux, I apologize. Actually, I apologize to everyone for the joke. It's just bad.

Autumn Events in 2011

Chris — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 11:07:00 +0000

We've had quite a busy autumn! First, there was Luca's 3rd birthday, then apple picking, Halloween, a celebration of my first date with Kyra, and finally Thanksgiving at Dan's with our friends.

Here's a slide show and highlights:

Autumn 2011

Dan and Carla, LP and Nick on the Hay Ride

Baba and Luca on the Hay Ride

Luca and the Birthday Cake, with a Tractor!

Apple Picking

Apple Eatin'

Ready for a Date!

A Turkey at Dan's (wait, which one?!)

We still have more Thanksgiving parties to attend this week, so there might be more photos to post.

Kyra insists that we put up the Christmas tree next weekend after Thanksgiving. I'm not sure I have the stomach for it, especially before my birthday! I'm already reeling from the Christmas music at the mall... Sheesh! If Thanksgiving hasn't passed yet, it's too early!

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! May you be warm and have lots of good food!

A big thank-you to Cassie, Mike, and Zea at Primrose Community Farm, who share their wonderful farm food with us during the year. We enjoyed the potatoes, mashed, for our Thanksgiving party!

Carla wrote: "I LOVE this photo of you guys.....

Chris S. — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 10:41:12 +0000

Carla wrote: "I LOVE this photo of you guys... you all look so wonderful and happy!!!"

New Journal Photo for 2011

Chris — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 22:42:00 +0000

Check out our new journal photo! We just got family pictures again this month, and here are two of the new ones:

I'll upload some more in the next few days, especially the comical ones of Luca!

Bad Pun

Chris — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 09:25:00 +0000

Yesterday I uttered a ban pun, and in response to Kyra's reaction, instead of saying "All in good fun," I said, "All in bad fun," but then immediately corrected myself and said, "That is, 'All in bad pun'". And now the world has a new bad pun to use in response to bad puns. You're welcome.

Of A Few Weeks

Chris — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 10:42:00 +0000

Some time ago, Kyra and I decided to volunteer for a non-profit organization focused on reducing suicides, especially among veterans, which was started by a family friend. I've been helping with technical aspects, like getting a website up and running and setting up email based on the website. Kyra has been participating by helping design business cards, event planning, and volunteering. As a part of her volunteer work, she decided to go to a conference co-sponsored by the organization in Washington, DC. The conference intended to bring more awareness to the issue and included a march to the capitol, and it was held a couple of weeks ago.

The weekend and week prior to the event was an interesting one. Kyra spent a lot of time getting ready for the trip. On Thursday, the day before her flight, Luca got sick: he apparently threw up. Although there were a number of kids getting sick, it seemed like the reason he threw up was because he stuck his hand down his throat, possibly to get a leaf out that he had attempted to eat. On the same day, I had some family troubles to deal with, resulting in a long stressful day. The next day, Kyra left for her flight with the help of our friend LP (thank you!), and I stayed home with Luca, even though Luca appeared to be fine and that day was the last day I could get into the database at work since they were going to upgrade it. Fortunately, I was able to work from home for about half of the day and it turned out that although the upgrade took longer than usual, it was okay within a few days.

So Kyra left for DC and Luca and I spent the weekend together by ourselves. We went to swimming lessons, shopped for groceries, cleaned house, played at the park—all the usually family stuff. Saturday night, unfortunately, I broke out with an allergic reaction at about 11:30 pm, long after Luca had been asleep. I was very nervous about this since I was home alone, but I did the usual thing and took an anti-histamine and waited until the reaction subsided. I wasn't clear whether I was having breathing problems or not, and that's why I stayed up late. The next morning I was so groggy from the medicine that, after breakfast, I went back to bed and let Luca play with the baby monitor on (yes, I made sure everything was safe first). He woke me up a couple of hours later yelling, "Baba! I went poop!". Eventually we figured out that I'm allergic to limes. Not the insides, however, just the peel!

Later Sunday morning we had brunch at Nick and LP's, which I was very grateful for after the night I had. And we finally watched Cars from beginning to end. Sunday night, Luca and I had to pick up Kyra from the airport, and I thought it would be fun to go star gazing beforehand, since we needed to stay up late. We went out of the city a little way and looked at the moon with binoculars. We saw a few stars, but there really was too much light pollution to see very well. Eventually we went over to the airport and watched planes land while we waited for Kyra's plane. Other than the allergic reaction, Luca and I had a really good weekend together.

Then it was quickly back to work, with barely any time to adjust from the weekend. The next weekend I saw Tammy Baldwin speak about health care reform, and Kyra and I attended the first Madison Symphony Orchestra concert of the season (with Andre Watts!). On another weekend, we attended our community farm's barn party, which was great fun, with good food, good people, and good music. The weekend after that Kyra and Luca went to the Twin Cities to visit family, while I stayed home and completed "spring" cleaning. (Boy, that was way overdue!) While there, they had a birthday party for Luca since Kyra's family won't be able to make it to the party here. They had a special royal theme, and if you want to see photos of the event, you'll have to ask!

Next week is Luca's 3rd birthday, and both Kyra and I are taking the day off to spend with him. Then we'll have the party with a hay ride and smores the day after. Halloween will be soon, and it seems like Thanksgiving his heading at us like a freight train. It's been a crazy, busy summer and fall, with lots of excitement and stress, but I've spent it with some great people whom I love. Here's to a great summer!

So true. I think we'd die if we stayed that go...

Marie — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 00:45:12 +0000

So true. I think we'd die if we stayed that goofy in love for too long from lots of hormones being way overdosed, but it's a good time while it lasts.

On New Love and Married Love

Kyra S. — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 20:03:00 +0000

Unfortunately, our friend Carla is in the hospital. Fortunately, she will be "freed" this weekend. Carla has frequently expressed to Chris and I how lonely a hospital stay can be, and is aways anxious to reconnect with friends on her release. So she was excited when, lets call him WMIHL (wonderful man in her life), showed up unexpectedly at her bedside, driving all the way to the hospital after a full day of work, and stating he would stay with her and drive back to work (a substantial trip) the next day in the wee hours of the morning. She was so excited, in fact, that she felt compelled to call Chris and I and tell us just how Wonderful WMIHL really was. Later, a conversation between Chris and I ensued, which I think illustrates the difference between what we could call "New" and "Married" love.

Chris: "Really? he's going to drive [all that way] tomorrow morning before work?"
Kyra: "Oh come on! They're in LOVE. Don't you remember when we started dating and I stayed at your apartment until four a.m., and you drove me back home just so I could take a shower and get ready for work at six? Back then we were sleep deprived by choice!"
Chris: "Yeah, but I don't remember feeling so tired..."
Kyra: "We were in love! We were running on edorphins! Now we're just used to each other..."
Chris: "You're so mean!"
Kyra: "You know I'm kidding!"
Chris: "Well don't worry dear, there's no getting used to you..."

Thanks dear. I love you too.

Sarah wrote: "That is so nice, I think I will...

Chris S. — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 21:24:04 +0000

Sarah wrote: "That is so nice, I think I will try something like that with my son. Thanks for sharing, Chris! :)"

Morning Advice

Chris — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 08:59:00 +0000

Almost every morning, I take a moment to give Luca a hug and say, "Have fun, be gentle, and listen." It seems, on those days I miss this moment, like Luca has a rough day. On those days, I realize the impact that small things like a repeated bit of advice to a child can have on an entire day. And the hug makes a difference too. But this advice is really good for anyone, and I strive to live up to it too. So today, make some time to slow down, have a bit of fun, listen to someone carefully, and be gentle in all you do.

Summer 2011

Chris — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 15:43:00 +0000

We had quite a summer!

Back in May, we walked for Cystic Fibrosis and threw a cook-out party afterward. Luca got to ride Grandpa Bill's motorcycle.

Then we went to a birthday party for Kyra's former coworker's son, who turned 1. We also went on a strawberry pick at the farm where we get our summer vegetables. Of course, swimming lessons were also going on this whole time, and we went to the zoo occasionally.

Luca saw his first fireworks, with my aunt and uncle's family, Auntie Megan, Grandma Teresa, and Auntie Joana (welcome home!!). Here we are on the bridge waiting for the fireworks.

Then, I started a new job in July. We had Auntie Sabrina and her family down for Lilliana's birthday, which we spent at the splash pad. We had cake and lots of yummy food that Kyra made. Here's the cake, with a photo of Lilliana.

At the end of the month, we went to visit Grandpa Bruce, Alice, and Auntie Carla for her birthday and the EAA AirVenture air show. Nick and Elspeth also joined us, along with Carla's new boyfriend, Dan.

Here are the boys playing trucks.

That firetruck is Grandpa Bruce's from when he was a little boy. He re-painted it and labeled it GB (Grandpa Bruce) Fire Department.

And Grandpa Bruce has quite an train set! I don't think we got any pictures though - maybe next time. Luca certainly had fun watching them zoom around.

Here we are at the air show, in front of one of the largest planes there:

We had a lot of fun. Luca got to sit in a helicopter, in back and front:

The museum was interesting too. At least there were buttons Luca could push without causing problems...

The smallest air plane with the biggest kid...

Whew! What a summer! It seems like every weekend has been packed with something. Maybe it will calm down?

Oh wait, we went to a "corn boil" potluck dinner at the farm yesterday, and then today we're going out with Megan and friends to see a movie. It's not over yet!

And Happy Birthday Megan!!

Sharon said, via Facebook: I like this too... it ...

Chris S. — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:22:29 +0000

Sharon said, via Facebook:

I like this too... it is so you. Keeping an open mind and realizing everyone on this earth is human is a hard concept to wrap any mind around. With your children you want to be perfect and right all the time, not possible. It is true that making those mistakes can show your child that you also learn lessons every day, and so will they. You are a very lucky man to have such a great wife... hence a wonderful family in the making!

Karen said, via Facebook: I like this. I also thi...

Chris S. — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 08:21:39 +0000

Karen said, via Facebook:

I like this. I also think a good father makes mistakes. Show their child that we are human who do some things right and some things wrong. By making mistakes, a father can show humility as well as the hard learned lesson of suffering the consequences of your actions with dignity.

And A Good Time Was Had By All

Kyra S. — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 12:51:00 +0000

On the Seventh of July, in the Year of Our Lord 2011, we traveled to Bristol to partake in Ye Olde Renaissance Faire.

Lady Kyra,

Lady Carla,

and Lady Megan,

...were Accompanied by the Court Jester (for amusement).

We refreshed ourselves at the eatery "Perkins" where the Young Lord demanded pancakes.

Upon Arrival at the faire, the Young Lord communed with nature at the petting farm,

explored armaments,

and boarded a pirate ship.

There was jousting,

and Feasting,

and Much Rejoicing. Huzzah!

My mom's comment was as follows: "I wou...

Kyra S. — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 14:17:42 +0000

My mom's comment was as follows:

"I wouldn't have expected any thing less from a mom who had spongebob sheets in college."

Gearing up for Renfair

Kyra S. — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 07:52:00 +0000

Chris is a huge nerd. I'm a huge nerd. And what happens when two huge nerds have children?

Hugely nerdy babies!

And this...

Yes, I am dressing my kid up for a Renaissance Fair. And yes, this will be going in his high school yearbook someday.

I think he makes a great pirate.

News Email

Chris — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 10:03:00 +0000

Here is a recent email I sent to friends, family, and professional contacts:

Hello everyone!

This year has been a busy one already! Kyra continues to work at the same childcare center, where Luca attends school. She is also taking several courses throughout the year to advance her childcare certification. Luca is 2-1/2, he continues to swim, and he likes to ride canoes. He also attended his first political event at the capitol in downtown Madison last winter. Chris has been working on a recipe and meal planning database for Kyra, dubbed "Kyra's Kitchen", with the possibility of developing a web application. Chris is currently working as a Clinical Data Analyst at a local physician practice organization.

In July, Chris will be starting a new position within the university system as a Programmer Analyst. The program supplies physicians with data from hospital and physician claims for research purposes. Chris will be working closely with physicians to identify the necessary data for their research.

Thank you to everyone who has been supporting us this year, especially our close friends and family, and Chris's references!

– Chris, Kyra, and Luca

I'm excited about the new position since I miss being involved with research. I start the new position in a few weeks!

What it Means to be a Father

Chris — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 09:45:00 +0000

Lately, there have been a number of situations regarding the fathers in my life; which, for the sake of my family and our relationships, I cannot divulge here; that have prompted me to think critically about what it means to be a father: What are the qualities of a good father? How does a good father act? How does a good father spend his time? How does a good father treat others, especially his wife? Essentially, how does a good father not just play the part part, but BE a role model?

To me, a good father spends time with his children. He reads to them, plays with them outside, takes an interest in what they do even when he's not interested in the activity. He is firm and expects obedience and good behavior, but is also caring, kind, loving, and playful. A good father does not raise his voice, but he does not often relent on his decisions. Once children are old enough to understand, have opinions, and make sound arguments about decisions, then a good father at least listens to his children and considers their desires. However, in the end the father makes and sticks with a decision, all the while expressing love and respect.

Even though I know many answers to these questions, at times I do not or am not able to fully comply with them. It is that struggle, however, that makes me a good father: I know what the ideal is, even though it is perhaps impossible at all times and there are certainly few role models, and I strive to meet it.

One consistent and powerful presence that helps me to attain that goal is my wife: She gently reminds me of what it means to be a good parent; she reminds me that I have good qualities; she supports me when I'm down. I believe firmly that if she were not here, I would not be as good a father as I am, and for that, I am eternally grateful, and I honor her role in my life. Thank you, Kyra.

Mission

Chris — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 21:25:00 +0000

Luca developed a fever this evening, so I sent this to our friends as a way of requesting help in case Luca still has a fever on Monday:

Nicorette and Long Play:

Monsieur L. Theodore is not well, with febrility. On Monday, neither myself nor my wife, Miss Ladylike, are able to abstain from our professional commitments.

Given this situation, we formally request from Long Play assistance should the need arise. Should you accept, you may be subjected to emotional outbursts, boredom, and possibly puerility.

Profoundly yours,

Grand Baba

Kyra responded:

My consort is at liberty far too often.

Not Much

Kyra S. — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 12:03:00 +0000

Chris, Luca and I were listening to "Whad'ya Know" on NPR during Lunch. They were broadcasting from the Dane Dairy Breakfast, so their questions had to do with cows and farms. One question came up "Are there really more cows in Wisconsin than people?" Chris and I both thought there were. The contestants thought the opposite. Turns out there aren't, people outnumber cows about 5 to 1. Chris's response was as follows:

"Huh. We should let them vote. They're a minority. Oh, I'm sorry...a moonority."

Usually, I'm the one with the bad jokes. And as Chris so often reminds me, there is a special circle of hell for people who tell puns.

Mother’s Day Report

Chris — Sun, 15 May 2011 11:18:00 +0000

Last weekend was Mother's Day weekend. I got up with Luca and we assembled breakfast for mama, consisting of lots of fruit, including apples, grapes, pineapple, and strawberries; a mix of raisins, almonds, and dried cranberries; smoked salmon; and bread and hummus. Oh, and of course coffee. Here are two humorous photos of the spread with Luca and Kyra:

And here's a close-up of the spread, post eating...

The fish was popular. I think we assembled too many grapes and the raisin/almond/cranberry mix. I also forgot that we're avoiding giving Luca nuts, and he kept wanting them. Oops.

We also went to Olbrich, and it was a lovely day, but we forgot the camera. Oh well. Maybe we'll remember on Father's Day.

What is War?

Chris — Wed, 04 May 2011 20:19:00 +0000

Today, after a few days of hearing the overly-repeated news of bin Laden's death, I read the following in A People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn:

I wonder now how the foreign policies of the United States would look if we wiped out the national boundaries, at least in our minds, and thought of all children everywhere as our own. Then we could never drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, or napalm on Vietnam, or wage war anywhere, because wars, especially in our time, are always wars against children, indeed our children.

Indeed, plenty of stories confirm this basic fact of war: among the dead, most are civilians, and among those, most are children. Here is an excerpt from an article written in 2001 regarding the war in Afghanistan:

The reporters saw clear evidence that many civilians had been killed in the attack, though they could not confirm the number of deaths. 'I ask America not to kill us,' pleaded Hussain Khan, who said he had lost four children in the raid.

Wars affect children more than any other type of person. I urge you: do what you can to stop war. Sign petitions. Vote for pacifists. Love your neighbor. "Be the change you want to see in the world."

New Videos: Luca and Easton, Easter, Wedding Videos Updated

Chris — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 11:53:00 +0000

Last week, Kyra's boss was in a dilemma: she had a required, all-staff meeting after work and her husband had a last-minute meeting after work and could not pick up their son. My wife volunteered me to pick up her son and watch him until the meeting was over. So I picked up her son, Easton, and took him home with Luca.

The evening went very well. The two boys played very well with each other, and Luca was excited to have someone over to visit. They played with trucks, instruments, blocks, and rode around on the toy horse and giraffe. Other than goofing up the dinner selection because of Easton's allergies, it went very well.

While making dinner, I shot some video of the two boys playing with the instruments:

Luca and Easton 1

After dinner, we took a bath. It was not very eventful, with both boys playing with the floating roads and trucks. Then we got ready for bed, but we had to wait for Kyra and Easton's mom, Chris, to come home and pick up Easton. In the meantime, the boys rode around on the horse and giraffe:

Luca and Easton 2

It was fun having Easton over, so hopefully he can visit again sometime!

Easter was last weekend, and of course we hid Easter eggs around the house. I shot some video of Luca looking for the eggs. I admit it's a bit boring and the video is a bit shaky. I was barely awake, so give me a break. I was also trying to remember where all the eggs were so we wouldn't forget them.

Easter Egg Hunt

Easter Thank You

We also went to my mom's side for Easter dinner. They hid eggs out in the yard:

A while ago, Google Video shut down the ability to upload videos, and now they are purging all of the hosted videos. I re-uploaded our videos to YouTube, including our wedding videos. As a result, the quality is much better. Here is our wedding ceremony:

Our Wedding Ceremony

For the other videos of our wedding, see the page for additional wedding videos and the page for reception videos.

Carla posted the following comments in our online ...

Chris S. — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:26:37 +0000

Carla posted the following comments in our online album.

About the picture of Luca in the swing with his foot sticking out:

"I love that smile - and I can't wait to be back in town to get a spectacular Luca Big Hug!!!"

About the picture of Kyra at the swings:

"Just FYI, my friend Sarah said at the party, 'Does Kyra just keep getting more and more beautiful?' And my answer was 'Yes.' You're GORGEOUS!!!"

About the picture of Luca and Liliana holding hands in front of the Peanuts character:

"Your family has the cutest kids in the world. No joke - look how beautiful Luca and Liliana are - and how adorable it is that they are holding hands!!!"

Here's the conversation that took place on Fac...

Chris S. — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 15:15:25 +0000

Here's the conversation that took place on Facebook:

Carla: I LOVE this story!

Amelia: ha ha - AWESOME! This one made me laugh out loud. :)

Sara: priceless.

Steph: I have a perfect mental image of this dialogue between you and Luca. He can be very convincing in his presentation, but nobody can fool the "Mama sniff test." Thank you for the laugh! Remember: "The days are long, but the years are short..."

Puts me in mind of a book I made for my grown kids...

Marion — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:35:45 +0000

Puts me in mind of a book I made for my grown kids. I matched pictures of them when they were little to appropriate nursery rhymes. Titled it "Dad's Nursery Rhyme Book" as most of the pictures had the kids and their Dad. Printed it off for each of them.

I like that definition.

Chris S. — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 06:31:05 +0000

I like that definition.

Gonna have to dispute your neologism: seems to me ...

nat — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 01:14:28 +0000

Gonna have to dispute your neologism: seems to me that sedimentary rock is, generally speaking, the softest of rocks, so if it were a rock genre, it would be softish hard rock? Um, like, hard rock wannabes, maybe?

Cute!

Nichole — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 21:08:46 +0000

Cute!

Dork! :-P lol

Megan S — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 18:31:04 +0000

Dork! :-P lol

I highly recommend that you get some bibs with sle...

Marie — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 08:54:14 +0000

I highly recommend that you get some bibs with sleeves from Ikea. They're about $2 each and have a pocket at the bottom in addition to the sleeves, plus machine wash. My favorite!
Also, happy belated birthday Chris!

I'm so thankful for the super-supportive Chris...

Carla — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 13:02:01 +0000

I'm so thankful for the super-supportive Chris and Kyra!!! Love you guys!!!

Beautiful! He looks so cute at that piano!

Robin — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 07:00:54 +0000

Beautiful! He looks so cute at that piano!

<3 Yay! I need to come over and see your progr...

Carla — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 12:00:49 +0000

<3 Yay! I need to come over and see your progress!

"I got a little catch in my throat" as I...

Natalie — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 11:09:16 +0000

"I got a little catch in my throat" as I was reading your posting. I know what you mean by missing 'my boy.' I miss V so much when I am away from her. I gave up on the breast pump stuff soon after I returned to work. It was pain in the rear. I hope that you don't have to go to the east side location too often. Yes, it is very lucky for Luca that mommy can nurse him during her break :) I am sure he is really happy about it, too. Hugs to both of you.

Nope, he hasn't had much chance since he's...

Chris S. — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:35:43 +0000

Nope, he hasn't had much chance since he's been kept in the bathroom until he's free of certain pests.

Ah yes I definitely see the resemblance. Have his ...

Caityrosey — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 21:26:07 +0000

Ah yes I definitely see the resemblance. Have his vicious little claws made war on your curtains yet?

Mondru, from the comic Eric is reading.

Marie — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 22:12:58 +0000

Mondru, from the comic Eric is reading.