TdF... then and now

Today, Phil and Paul mentioned the TT back in 2003 when Lance beat Ullrich (who crashed) in the rain. Vino was in that race too!

(Jan's crash is at 7:20 in this movie)

Here's an attack by Lance in the mountains from 2000. I would probably be going nuts if I watched this happen now (you know, 10 years later)

I have to say, on the Versus.com 'Tour Tracker' that we watched this summer, we couldn't hear any of the shouting from the crowds like you can hear in the videos here. It's making my heart rate increase just watching it now!

Okay, one more. What's the best part about this one for me? Look at Lance's number - 181. that must mean... its the first year he wins the Tour.

And all that Mitzi is thinking is - "Hey, who got you punks into watching this danged bike race in the FIRST place?!" So, here's to you, Mitz!!

PS.

Oh man!!! I had to add this one. Paul - "This if FAB-ulous, this is fan-TAS-tic!!!"

New Photos

We posted new photos of our trip back to Missouri, Nebraska and Kansas. Click the link below to go see what we did...

July - Trip to Grants Farm, Omaha and Kansas

Duck Duck Goose (Will Style)

So, I should be getting ready for the gym, but I have a sneaky suspicion that will not be happening today. As I should be somewhat productive, I thought I would tell you about our game of Duck Duck Goose last night. It has been a while since we had just some family time in the evening. Lately, it seems, we have been rushing through a late dinner and then straight to baths and then straight to bed. I noticed we had a good 15 minutes before the boys' bedtime routine needed to start and suggested we play the game where you get to hit people on the head and then run around screaming. As it turns out, both boys have greatly improved in their understanding of the game since we last played. Will, in particular, had me laughing with his new skills. And as I type this, I'm not sure how well I can relate the hilarity in writing, but just keep a picture of our little 2-year-old in your mind with his little impish smile and his whole body nearly shaking from the excitement of playing this classic game.

Will still gets up and runs no matter whose head has been tapped as goose. However, he has gotten much better at the tapping of heads and clearly saying "Duck" and "Goose". He has also developed quite the winning strategy, he will tap three heads (no more, no less) and say "Duck" and then hesitate and head to the door as he yells "Goose" (in our version, you don't just run around the circle, but out the living door, down the hall, through the kids play area, through the dining room, and back into the living room). This strategy serves him well as it causes a bit of confusion (at first) over who is exactly "Goose" and also gives him quite the headstart, so he can almost certainly get back to the circle before being tackled by his older brother (another fun part of the Buschelman version, that we'll probably have to correct prior to the time they go to school).

Also, Will has decided he has no patience for those players who like to milk their turns for as long as possible by going around the circle a million times. And I have to say, I quite agree. Though, we may need to help him in the virtue somewhat as he sits in his spot nearly shaking with the tension, and if someone hasn't been tapped as Goose within about 7 head taps, Will just calls "GOOSE!" from his spot and gets up and runs away. And, I have to say, it definitely gets his point across.

Brother's Keeper

Yesterday, Dom did a couple of things that made me realize that he recognizes that he is Will's older brother and is expected to look out for him. The first occurred at an area splash park. It is a wide open area and I could almost always keep an eye on the boys. However, I watched as they walked to the bathroom building and saw Will walk behind it out of my sight. I was just getting up to go retrieve him when I saw Dom go behind the building as well. I hadn't taken 5 steps when Dom comes back around the building hauling Will with him and pulling him all of the way back to where I was sitting. Eric and I often use Dom to race down Will as he runs down aisles or sidewalk, but this was the first I had seen Dom do it on his own. I hope he keeps this up, because it will make my life a heck of a lot easier.

The second thing that Dom did that made my heart swell a little was of a different nature. As many of you know, Dom is particularly attached to his blanket (blankie). Will also has a blanket type thing (Foo-Foo, as in little bunny Foo-Foo because it has a rabbit head) that I suspect he is only attached to because he knows Dom has a special blanket also. Both boys tend to watch out for the other's blanket. Yesterday, Dom was getting ready to have some quiet time while Will napped and went in search of his blanket to snuggle. When I came back into the room where Will was, I noticed that Dom had placed Foo-Foo on Will's stomach so that he would have it when he woke up. It was a pretty sweet sight.

It has been fun for Eric and me to watch Dom and Will's friendship grow over the last few months. They play together and in general watch out for one another. But, to put the above stories in perspective, we much more often experience the following situation:

Eric: "Dom, why is Will crying?"

Dom: "Because he is sad"

Eric: "Why is Will sad?"

Dom: "Because I hit him"