Pig Green Red Dog

by guest blogger David Brantz

A few days ago, Samantha asked me to “write some words down for her to read.”  It was great to see this unprovoked interest in reading, but she is so young (kindergarten doesn't start until this fall) and my expectations were low.  I randomly wrote the word “PIG” with the pen.  Sammy calmly looked at the paper, and to my amazement, sounded it out “puh-ih-guh…..PIG!”  I don’t think I’ve ever smiled so big.  It was truly amazing – Sammy could read!

Next I wrote “GREEN” (she did need a little help sounding out the hard “EE”), then “RED” and “DOG.”  Each word was calmly sounded out and correctly read aloud!  We celebrated with a big hug and I could see the sense of pride and accomplishment radiating out of Samantha’s smile.  It was one of those moments when you love to be a parent! Sammy has always been an intelligent child, but this was an unexpected surprise that truly warmed my heart. 

P.S. My mom keeps reminding me that both Molly and I didn’t start reading until 1^stgrade, so the smart genes must come from Carly’s side of the family.  :-)

Carina's Stats

Last week I took Carina in for her two year check up.  This kid has so much personality, it always cracks me up to see how much she draws people in.  She chatted with the nurse, stood right up on the scale and showed off how she can count.  After Doctor Cohen checked her out, she told him thank you and blew him a kiss.   Then, the nurse returned to give her a shot - Carina was very brave and only shed a few tears.  Then said thank you to the nurse as we left.

She is a perfect little peanut.  Thankfully she has her father's metabolism because as I say, she eats more than any of us and still doesn't even weigh 25 lbs.  Her stats are shown below.

Height: 33 inches - 25 percentile
Weight: 24 3/4 lbs - 19 percentile
Head: 19 1/2 inches - 75 percentile

Cousins!

by guest blogger David Brantz

One of the things I love about my family is the close relationships that I have with many of my cousins, especially those that are closest to me in age.  I have many fond memories of playing together when we were young, sharing holidays/weddings/etc., and growing up through each stage of our lives.  The same goes for Carly and her cousins too.  We both feel that the cousin bond is special.

For the last 10 days our niece, Lucy Auld, has been visiting Colorado while my sister and brother-in-law are on a trip to the Galapagos Islands.  My parents get tons of credit for taking on primary babysitting duty, but Carly and I did take Lucy for a few nights (with the girls’ help, of course).  And, even when they weren't all sleeping at the same house, the three girls all got a healthy dose of play time during the day. 

It has been a real treat to see the cousin bond grow between these girls.   They are starting to become individuals together.  I smile big watching them scamper down the hall to go play “monster” or to take a “cousins bath” -their favorite.  Samantha (4 ½ years) is the careful nurturing big cousin/sister, with Carina (2 years) and (Lucy 1 ¼ years) both just one step behind.

We’ve loved having Lucy in Boulder, and we hope the cousins will get many more chances to grow their family bond!

Ski Day #1

By Guest Blogger: David Brantz


On Friday, Samantha had her very first ski day at Eldora Mountain.  She is enrolled in a great program for 4-6 year olds called “Eldorables” that meets once a week for 5 weeks.  It is an introductory class that teaches kids the basics with a big focus on fun and comfort.  Needless to say, I was worried about how Sammy would do (especially on her first day), and my worries were magnified when we arrived on Friday morning to find subfreezing temps, wind, and blowing snow. 

The ski school staff helped us get Sammy into her ski boots and skis, and Sammy’s teacher, Daniel, tried to calm my fears by assuring me that it was only half as windy as it had been on the first day of the prior session.  Of course, in the end I had nothing to fear.  Daniel did a great job of making the class fun for the kids, and Sammy (as usual) was very diligent about following her teacher’s directions.  After two hours out in the wind and snow, Sammy could walk up the bunny hill in her ski boots, put on her skis by herself, ski downhill, and take her skis off by herself to start the hike back up to the top.  She was so brave and only got a little cold on her fingers by the end.  After the lesson, we warmed up with some hot chocolate in the lodge and Sammy told me all about the kids in her class.  

I couldn't have planned a better first ski day experience for my little girl.

Look Who's Two!

Very hard to believe that it was just two years ago when my incredible baby, little Carini was born. I always say that with Samantha, she never had that mischievous look in her eyes that some kids have when you know they are up to something.  With Carina, I'm familiar with that sparkle in her eyes because I see it every morning when I look at the mirror.  Carina from the start has been bursting with this personality and dazzle that is hard to describe.

Because of her big blue eyes, and blonde hair, people mistakenly think she looks like me.  However, while she may have many of my personality traits, she is a little version of her Daddy with lighter features.  With those adorable dimples and crooked teeth, she could win anyone over with her infectious smile.

Carina is a tough little peanut.  She is always in the lower end of weight and has the tiniest little body yet, she truly eats more than anyone else in our house.  She has incredible strength and can pull herself up in a pull up on the dining room table or the railing on a door.  After she falls she hops right back up and says "I'm okayyyy!" and you can usually see her with a fat lip, a bruised knee or a bump on her head because of her wild acrobatics off the bed, couch or wherever she can find a challenge.  She loves music and has some impressive dance moves when the right moment hits.  Definitely has her Grammy's dancing blood.

I've talked a lot about how vocal she is, my favorite two things she does these days happen at bedtime.  Every night after reading books, I sing to her the same three songs: You are My Sunshine, Love You Forever, and Skiddle a Rinky Dink.  About a month ago she started to sing along with me  There is nothing more endearing than hearing her belt out "Skiddle a Rinky Doooooo, I loooove youuuuuu".  Then I lay her in her crib and say "I love you Carina" and as I walk out, I hear her say "I love you too Mommy".  Melts my heart every time.

Every child is a gift and Carina is such a special one to us.  She is a bright ray of sunshine in every one of my days.  Happy second birthday to my baby girl, Carina Jean Brantz.