The Woods Frog Blog

Mud Monster Dream

2011-10-27T12:05:00.000-07:00

Denny:

I have to tell you about my dream. It is a scary dream. Last night I was walking and I found two trash cans. I dumped the trash cans out and they were full of mud. The mud turned into mud monsters and they were scary.

Trevor:

Did the monsters try to get you?

Denny:

No I just dripped them out. That cause they were muddy and poopy!

Just two good ol boys learning center.

2011-08-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

The Pedernales

2011-05-10T18:42:00.000-07:00

First Egg Hunt

2011-04-24T08:55:00.000-07:00

Easter Bunny came to The Woods

2011-04-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

A little tale of turbulence

2011-04-21T06:47:00.000-07:00

Ginny had a conference in Reno scheduled for the last week of March. Neither of us had been there before and I guess neither had Denny for that matter. Anyway, the flight to Dallas was smooth and short. We board the flight for Reno and off we go...The flight is somewhere around 3 hours and it was smooth and fun, Denny watched movies and I read a magazine while Ginny read her book. This was Denny's first plane trip in his own seat and after a seatbelt debacle he seemed to be just fine. Cut to the juicy part. About 80 miles south of Reno we were amazed at the geography and landscape, beautiful mountains powdered with snow. I had not realized Reno was set in such a beautiful area. Well the mountains do more than just look pretty, they create wildly chaotic wind gusts apparently. The captain comes on the mic., "We are about 18 minutes from Reno but there seems to be some choppy winds. So..." I cant remember the rest, I think I said well at least it will be over in 18 minutes. So we start our descent and here come the bumps, shakes and rumbles. We have our landing gear out and it looks like we are pretty close to the ground, having made it through the cloud cover, and things start to pick up. Ive never felt a plane move like that before, the wings were doing there best to keep us straight but it felt like the nose of the plane was being pushed side to side. Of course it might have "felt" a lot more dramatic than it was in reality, but I go based on feeling most of the time. And my feeling was tense and scared. I happened to be looking straight at a stewardess and to me she looked to be smilingly grimacing. Well the pilot pulled up and through a little more turbulence we gain altitude and get into some smooth sky. A few minutes later the captain grabs the mic, "Folks we are being diverted to Sacramento, an attempt at landing is just to dangerous, and we need to stop and refuel and get in touch with the Reno officials for a better shot."

A few things: It is just too dangerous to attempt a landing? Didnt we just attempt a landing? Also, we have a 2 3/4 yr odl boy and sitting on a plane for an unspecified amount of time didnt sound too awesome. We also heard some folks talking about renting a car and driving, since Sacramento is only 2 hours from Reno.

We land smoothly in Sac and I am wonderfully relieved. We decide to exit our aircraft and find a car rental spot for a little adventure. It was only 2:30pm so we had lots of time to make the drive. I also knew we would be going through the Sierra Nevadas, which we had not seen before. So we get our Chrylser Sebring and take off toward Reno. Denny sleeps for the first hour and we drive from lush farmland into beautiful pine trees and mountains. We make it to Auburn, CA, the endurance capital of the nation. Home to several ultramarathons and ultra mountain bike races. Here we have our first taste of In n' Out Burger. We would end the trip with five more visits. The town is beautiful but we had to keep driving. We head East out of Auburn and soon find larger mountains, higher passes and snow! By the time we drive through the highest pass we are hemmed in by 12 foot snow drifts on either side of the highway. The Sierras had apparently been pounded with snow. Luckily the roads were perfect and we got to enjoy some wonderful scenery, and lots of crow sightings. Well we finally make it to Reno, drop off the car, pick up our luggage and arrive SAFELY at The Nugget.

To continue our adventure I spark the thought of buying a car and driving it home. Kind of a joke, kind of serious. We do have family in Durango, CO and Lubbock, TX that we could intrude upon and devour their resources, all the while gracing them with our presence. We also werent going to make it to Durango this year and see our beautiful niece. Also, we could use an extra car. So Ginny goes through stages of "find a car" and "no more talking about it!" Then just as a I resigned myself to flying home, Ginny texts me that her boss could care less if she takes the rest of the week off and I should go find a car. Well I had been searching Reno for AWD vehicles (to have so we can visit CO in the winter). I call USAA for loan info and they tell me I can get a car but to buy from an individual would take too long, so I need to go to a dealership. Well, I have a dealership in mind and Denny and I take off to shop for cars!!! I am driving down dealership blvd. and see the Honda dealership, so I stop in and look at an Element when a man approaches me ready to steal my wallet and asks me about my wants/needs. I tell him and he says, "I know this sounds strange but I have got the car for you!" Hilarious and completely expected. Well we go to the back to find THE car and it is a 2001 Subaru Legacy AWD. An 89 yr old woman had traded this in YESTERDAY, to get a new Accord, the car she has always wanted. The Subaru is ridiculously clean, the seatbelts in the back still have plastic on them. With 55,000 miles she drove it an average of 5,000 miles a year!!! Anyway, Ginny and I are prone to making impulsive decisions and not looking around, so I told him I would have to look around to make sure and not fall into The Woods trap. I end up back at the Subaru 3 hours later and buy the car. It was perfect, price, mileage, carfax was impeccable. So after the inspection and cleaning we set off EAST towards Salt Lake City.

We got as far as Elko, UT, about half way betweeen Reno and Salt Lake. Found a motel texted my sister where we stopped and she informed me that Elko is one of the cities that allows brothels. Awesome, we crash and wake up to drive 12 hours to Durango. The Nevada mountains were austere and stark, rugged and beautiful. Some were capped by snow and others just barren to the windscape. No trees, only brushy plants, and NO water that I could see. Beautiful but unforgiving landscape to those of us made up mostly of water. THe mountain ranges were one after the other and on both sides. Not like Colorado mountains where you are hemmed in by altitude but enough space between to make it feel really wide open and yet still the presence of massive earth.

Driving into Utah was as surreal a landscape as I have seen. Coming west to east heading towards the sun, both sides of the road are covered with water, mountain ranges in the distance on both sides and in front. But the water isnt necessarily a lake, because every so often you see land and it is white. Glowing, blinding, and mirage creating white. It is Salt. That is crazy! Salt flats create some strange visuals. I would love to have seen the same road at dusk. We drive by the Great Salt Lake and the coolest part is the island on the southeast side that has mountains and is home to antelope.

Well we blow right through Salt Lake, unfortunate but time is of the essence and it looks entirely too big for us to try to explore in an hour. Giant mountains sit just on the East side of Salt Lake, I think they are called the Wasatch Mountains, beautiful and huge. Getting out of Salt Lake's suburbs takes about and hour going 80. Pretty sick development.

We turn due East and set off for Moab. I knew that we would not have time to explore the Arches or Canyonlands parks so I did not get my hopes up. It is hard to pass by something so unique and assuredly mind-opening but we press on to CO. The park pictures are from a playscape we saw on the side of the road in Wellington, UT. It was huge, maybe 20 foot tall bridges. We finally arrive late in the evening in Durango and I instantly feel a little closer to Austin.

Once in Durango we get to see little Sandra and all her cuteness. When we woke up the next morning we took the kiddos to open gym and had a blast. Trampolines, uneven bars, balance beams, scooters, you name it. So with tried children we took them back for a nap and my sister and I went for a trail run on Horse Gulch. It was my first time on the trail and it was great! The altitude got me a little and I was wearing road racing flats, but it was an energizing run. When we got home it was a backyard kind of day. Beer, hot tub, toys, and a wonderful cookout to top it off. Got to hang out with little Noah and his crew.
Super glad we got to spend come time with our mountain family and wish it happened more often.

On to Lubbock with an early start. It was nice to see Nana and Dude and Grandma Molly. We had a good short visit and took off home to Austin. Quite possibly the most boring driving section of the trip. A fresh new road with no foreknowledge is delightful to the sense of adventure. I am so glad we made this trip, though it was a little rushed, it felt somehow it was meant to be. When we got home we noticed our car was not in the driveway, "Oh yeah, we left it at the airport." When we went to pick it up the next day, we remembered that we parked in F8, any body thinking what Im thinking?

Reno to Austin 2011

2011-04-21T06:32:00.000-07:00

Utah play break

2011-04-21T06:23:00.000-07:00

Utah Play to Durango Days

2011-04-21T06:17:00.001-07:00

Next Stop Lubbock, Nana and Dude

2011-04-21T05:49:00.000-07:00

Lil boys in action

2011-04-21T05:23:00.001-07:00

Warm Weather Fun

2011-03-25T07:09:00.000-07:00

Right where we left off...

2011-03-22T09:00:00.001-07:00

Hello, Ginny has been toiling and planning and dreaming of ways to invigorate our backyard design, vegetable garden, and living plant implementation. I thought we should go live and show some of the work we have done and some thoughts on where we are gong next.

These photos are of the vegetable garden we just created and planted. The plants are cucumber, summer squash, tomato, green beans, strawberries, chives, and oregano. We created the small addition so that Denny can pick and eat the chives without stepping in the garden. Also, the bamboo is my attempt to create partial shade for the herbs, we'll see if it works. The cucumbers are under the two teepees, and the beans and strawberries are in the bed under the swingset. We also hope to plant some okra, eggplant and various peppers and basil. I also included my firepit and gate with new water extension addition. Ginny had a great idea for stability by placing the old pot upside down on the water faucet. It adds a nice decorative effect also.

We also have a garden in the shape of a "B" which is going to be planted with different plants of Ginny's choosing, with variety, size, and color taken into consideration. Also, the front bed just outside of our front porch will become a "rock garden" with various cacti plants and gravel.

Jump!

2009-11-19T14:24:00.000-08:00

scouting...

2009-11-19T14:17:00.000-08:00

New Doo!

2009-11-19T14:10:00.000-08:00

Denny Outside

2009-10-08T16:39:00.000-07:00

Denny Pics

2009-10-08T16:33:00.001-07:00

Spin til your dizzy!!!

2009-10-05T15:10:00.000-07:00

That's cottage cheese on the side of his mouth, by the way!!

Tooned In!!!

2009-09-28T19:02:00.001-07:00

He is only 15 months and already jammin out to some BB KIng!!!

Bath Time!! Scrub A Dub!

2009-09-28T18:54:00.000-07:00

Everybody knows, a clean baby is a happy baby!! Denny is 15 months in this set of photos. We are having a blast raising this little boy. He is just running around and playing in the backyard everyday. We wish everyone well and see ya soon!

dinner talk

2009-09-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

Denny Outside

2009-09-09T13:18:00.000-07:00

Denny with a New Haircut!

2009-09-07T16:52:00.000-07:00

Look at that beautiful golden-headed boy!

Denny Boy round about 14 months

2009-09-05T09:43:00.001-07:00

Summer Fun

2009-08-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

Here are a few shots of Denny and one of Daddy just catching up on some reading. Its a great summer read! Hope everyone is doing well and will post later!

OOOOH Im just a Dancing Machine!

2009-08-07T19:13:00.000-07:00

THis really isnt his best, but he wont let us get a very good shot. His best is usually very spontaneous and the camera always distracts. Someday...

"Are you gonna eat the Bunny?"

2009-08-07T18:55:00.000-07:00

Ice Lakes, Silverton, CO

2009-07-30T05:21:00.000-07:00

These beautiful pics were taken on our hike this summer to the Ice Lakes in Colorado. We had a great hike, my Dad was a phenomenal hiker, by the way. He carried me all the way up to 12,400 ft, only cussing a few times. Just before the top we were pelted with rain and hail. The storm threatened to send us back down not having captured the summit. Hikers from the top were running back down saying things like "No Ice Lakes today!!", "You be crazier than a marmot's drunk cousin to go up there!" But team Woods/Geyer were not to be deterred. We told the sky not to drop anymore ice bombs and show us the sunshine and we ran to the top, or at least thats the way my dad tells the story, I was asleep!! The lake was positively beautiful and the valley on the way up was out of a storybook. There were at least five big waterfalls shooting out over the cliffsides. Truly a spectacular hike, recommended to anyone who likes a nice gradual nature trail! What a wonderful summer hike!

A day in the life....

2009-07-26T13:14:00.000-07:00

Well its a beautiful sunday afternoon and I am just playing around in the front yard. I wanted to deliver some of my new photos straight to your computing systems for your viewing pleasure! Check out my photos and if you want to make a donation you know the address....

Denny is on the Loose!!

2009-07-26T12:51:00.000-07:00

PICs of my little self on my 1st birthday!!

2009-07-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

Denny Boy

2009-07-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

The many faces of Denny...have a wonderful weekend everyone!!!

Sid Vicious got NOTHIN!!!!

2009-07-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! I had to take a bath, now I am really back and cleaner than ever! My folks got connected thanks to Nana! We will be reporting live from ATX all the time. I have grown so much it would make you slap a knee. I am walking and whining!

I went to the Dentist for my first check up yesterday. He was a pretty cool guy with some funky blue paste he put on me teeth. I have six teeth and I am about to get a couple more. I also went hiking in Colo, my Dad tells me that I took a nap above 12,000 ft. He also said I was nominated hiker/camper of the year! I beat out my Mom who usually wins that division.

Well I will have more photos and vids up soon...gotta crack the whip on my Dad!!

keepin rhythm!!!

2009-06-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

Block Play!!

2009-06-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

Wave!!

2009-06-11T17:11:00.000-07:00

Just a real cute kid! Dont Cha Think??!!

Yo Yo!!! Where yawll been???

2009-04-23T13:37:00.000-07:00

Well, well?? I finally found someone to publish my art(photos of myself). So here I am standing up and sitting down and lovin on my mama!!! I am SO BIG!!! Ill see you guys later, Im off to nap!

Finally someone posted my pictures!

2009-04-23T13:23:00.000-07:00

You guys ever since my parents cut off our internet I cant seem to get any online face time. They also spend entirely too much time wrestling and kissing and hugging on me. Its seriously annoying!! I cant wait to start pre-3 so I can get my parents off my back and spend some time with the children of the world!

Well here are some photos of me playing the drums, getting rained on and probably getting yelled at for being so cute!!! Dont you guys like my dad's fence? He wouldnt want me to tell you guys but as soon as Dude took off for Lubbock, he hired out some fifteen-year-olds to finish the last section!!!!! JK...

New Fence

2009-04-23T13:13:00.001-07:00

Hey Dad we sure could have used you for this creation! Man its harder to get motivated once your doing most of the work alone. Anyway, Ginny was a big help!! Thanks for your help on the back fence. It looks great!

Stegosaurus????!!!

2009-02-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone is doing well and thanks for your interest in our cause: the life and luxury of a boy named Denny. Good love to all involved!!!

This is our friend!!

2009-02-22T09:21:00.000-08:00

Tyson really freaked out the neighbor's child with this performance!! It really is special and very heartwarming. To experience it live is something I will never forget!! Thanks Tyson!!!!!

Just a Small step!

2009-02-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

Comin to getcha!!

2009-02-22T09:08:00.000-08:00

The shirt speaks the truth!

2009-02-12T13:48:00.000-08:00

hello everyone!! here is an update of little boy in blue!!! have a beautiful day!!!

All of my toys!!!

2009-01-28T11:42:00.000-08:00

The Crawl!

2009-01-28T11:37:00.000-08:00

The Animal

2009-01-28T11:20:00.000-08:00

Zipper!

2009-01-15T09:29:00.000-08:00

Baby's got rhythm!!

2009-01-13T07:04:00.000-08:00

Hello and happy tuesday to everyone!!! Thats all!!

New locale

2009-01-12T12:18:00.000-08:00

Hello! I will now be reporting live from the scene of live social location known as Epoch. This is a lively place with music, art, drop-outs, drop-ins, students, bikers, much philosophy, much bullshit, cool lamps, and let us not leave out the sometimes kind and sometimes self-righteous baristas. They have free internet, however, and we are dropping ours due to addiction and lack of funds. Therefore, our posts will have a different style, subtle maybe but influenced by environment nontheless. So grab a $3 biscotti, some hot tea or liquefied ground bean of your choice and let the baby do some talking!!!

I will be escorting my parents on a jog later this afternoon at the beautiful Town Lake running trail. I am now banging my rattle so hard on the table that I am being asked to leave. Jk! Well I will leave you with a picture of myself and maybe my parents and I will talk to you tomorrow. Maybe I'll bring a stuffed toy next time. That girl next to me is playing peek-a-boo!!! Weird lip ring though....

Glamour Shots

2009-01-09T11:54:00.000-08:00

200000009!!!!!!

2009-01-09T06:34:00.000-08:00

Where have you guys BEEN!!!! Man I missed all of your wonderful faces. Boy I have I grown up in the past month!! I got my first baby tooth, I can sit up all by myself and I am working on that crawling thing. Oh yeah and my parents finally started giving me some of that food that they eat. Like sweet potatoes and bananas! It makes my poop so much stinkier, or at least thats what Dad always says when he taking off that giant crotch band-aid.

Well, I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday full of love and family and not too many presents as we learn that inflated consumerism results in too much eco-waste, credit card debt and makes the economy think it is so awesome that it falls over on top of our heads! JK! We hope everyone has a wonderful start to a new year with strength and conviction to keep resolutions re-energized all year long. My parents have bought this new jogging stroller so they can take me on journeys around the town. I dont want to hurt their feelings but it doesnt feel like we are going much faster than the walks we use to take. Anyway, it makes my parents breathe a lot heavier, its kinda funny! We also got some new drums. I got one for myself and my parents got one to share. Its called a Djembe and Ive got natural rhythm. Anyone who comes to the Springs with us this summer can dance to my funky beats!!

I will show up again soon with more glamour shots of myself and other not so important figures. Remember to keep the mustard in the jar and use lots of mayonaise and butter!!!!! So it goes.

The Farm 2008

2008-11-30T13:04:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a wonderful feast, wherever you might have been!!! Ginny, Denny and I headed to the 30th Thanksgiving held at the L'Roy farm in Durant, OK. We had a bonfire, football games, cooking, trivial pursuit, and songs and prayers and good old human relating. We are looking forward to Christmas. We are planning which Austin festivities we will be attending. Probably the lighting of the tree at the Capitol and maybe some Hippie Lights and Leeann might take us to a live nativity scene!! Real camels, man!!! oh yeah and a Baby Jesus! We should have had Denny try out for that role.

Well I have two recommendations for the Holiday seasons(so far). The first is a movie called "Redbelt." David Mamet makes this movie thoughtful and courageous. He writes the scripts in iambic pentameter. I dont necessarily know what that means, but it makes the dialogue very unique and rythmic. See it!! Also, my musical prop is a Swedish folkstress by the name of Ane Brun and album is Changing of the Seasons. She has a beautiful voice and hauntingly beautiful music to accompany.

Goodbye friends and family!!

2008-11-30T12:55:00.000-08:00

I always arrive late with a list...

2008-11-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz
The higher of these two numbers below indicates which side of your brain has dominance in your life. Realising your right brain/left brain tendancy will help you interact with and to understand others.
Left Brain Dominance:	(10)
Right Brain Dominance:	(9)
Right'>http://www.intelliscript.net/test_area/questionnaire/questionnaire.cgi?q=right_brain_left_brain_2">Right Brain/ Left Brain Quiz

2008-11-21T05:42:00.000-08:00

Shhhh!! Dont wake the baby! Its a cozy morning here in Austin. Denny and I are gonna hide from the blustery winds from the north.

It has been a good week: Denny ate brown rice cereal every evening and is quite a good grown-up eater. We are not sure he likes the brown rice but he definitely eats from a spoon like a big boy. Last night we(Ginny and I) officially moved out of the nursery:(! (Ive never used one of those hieroglyphic symbols before, its kinda dorky:)) OOPS there I go!! So Denny finally kicked us out of his room and I think he likes it better! He didnt wake in the middle of the night like he had started doing about a week ago. It was real sad, we lied in the bed until he went to sleep and then we snuck out. He might have slept better but I dont think we did. Im glad we have a smallish house, because the move only netted about 7 more yards in actual distance!!!

Well Im going to read and I hope everyone has a beautiful friday and a solidly slamming weekend filled with warm and fuzzy feelings(use wine) and remember to prepare for a large feast that will commence next thursday!!! I think you prepare by eating more to stretch out your belly! Oh what a gluttonous culture of ours!!!!!!

2008-11-17T18:39:00.000-08:00

Just a late nite entry...Thats a stick with arms, no not really!! Its actually a tree from Burundi that can weave hemp into paper and decimate an entire ant farm in one sitting!! The raindrop was just an experiment to see if I could shake the F-stop blues, thanks to my SuperBly friend Tyson! I actually felt a tad envious of that little drop of water. Im pretty sure it could see the whole world at once. And what post would be complete without a rare Vintage look at my offspring. That boy looks good at any age. This is probably circa late July-early August 2008. Truly a collector's edition. Ya'll have a swell nite and a fresh tomorrow!!!

2008-11-17T09:10:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone out there in the wonderful world! Denny and Trevor are broadcasting live and direct from Austin Texas (just a town). We are currently arguing over our creative direction and he blames me for our current decrease in blog output. He feels we should get back to our "passion" and write more blogs from our "inner inspirum"!!! I dont know what he is talking about, I only did it for the groupies.

Enough with the internal quarrels and on to the fat on the bacon. Denny has become increasingly vocal and opinionated lately. By that I mean throwing fits in the late evening. We think he might be going through some develpomental stages and figured it will subside soon. However Molly told us that we can look forward to about three more years of tyranny!! It is a form of oppression you just grow to love!!! Denny might get his first taste of some rice cereal tonight. He can hold a cup and put it up to his mouth, so we thought it might be time to experiment. He is very active and alert and playful and loud. In fact right before he crashes out for the evening, we tuck him in his bed, then we lay down to read and he wil squeal for about 10 minutes. But it is not a fussy squeal, it is more like he is singing and it is beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!

We are looking forward to the Holidays. Thanksgiving is in about two weeks and we will travel to Oklahoma to visit with Ginny's relatives and have a good old farm experience. Then Christmas will be spent in Lubbock with all the good folks on the High Plains!! We hope to see everyone on all sides very soon!!! peace in the middle east and the northeast and the southwest and due south and north to the sky!!!!!!!!

Denny Love Thumbsucker

2008-11-17T08:56:00.000-08:00

Cool Blog

2008-11-07T14:15:00.000-08:00

I ran across this blog today and thought it was a pretty cool idea: http://oneminutewriter.blogspot.com/.

Not really Choking!!!

2008-11-05T11:49:00.000-08:00

Obamalamadingdong!!!

2008-11-05T11:17:00.000-08:00

We have had a terrific two weeks, ladies and gentlemen!! Halloween brought out the bzzzz! in all of us. We took a trip to the cabin in Stonewall, which was a wonderful escape. Leeann, Johnny, Terry, Nancy, Anna and Cameron all stopped by to enjoy a mantastically entertaining football game and cookout. Thanks everyone for your presence. We witnessed a historic election last night which was cool!! Congratulations to Cameron's Dad for winning! Do I have to call him your honor?

Denny is now turning over regularly, very interactive, and has taken to dining on his feet. We wish everyone out there a prosperous week and a joyous weekend!!

"Sometimes the road is rocky and hard, full of dangers unrelenting. Just take great care to follow your star, let the good times come aplenty!"

Denny's First Play Date

2008-10-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Denny had a play date Saturday, October 11th, with his new friend Clint Alden Bonstead. Everything was going well until little Clint sucker-punched big Denny in the jaw. Oh well, boys will be boys, I suppose.

Roll Baby Roll!!!

2008-10-23T07:46:00.000-07:00

Butter Cake

2008-10-23T07:17:00.000-07:00

Good morning everyone! Well, we have had a splendid week so far and a great weekend. We all went and voted yesterday, Denny was a big hit! He received a sticker which proclaims that he voted, even though we all know that would be voter fraud. We dont want to be a part of the Bush legacy, now do we. As far as development goes, Denny is sitting up very well with assistance and he is babbling and laughing and sticking his feet in his mouth. He did roll over, in fact he rolled over from tummy to back and back to tummy in the same day. However, he has not performed again. I think it was just his way of showing off. We have been exploring the neighborhood with a great many long walks. We get smiles from almost every passerby, not to brag. I had three compliments on what a cute baby I was carrying within ten minutes of each other. The last was a group of punks who decided I ought to know that I had a "badass baby!" Thanks for everyones support we couldnt do it without you, thanks to the Academy and above all thanks Papa Smurf!

October Fun

2008-10-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all who brought their love to The Woods home this past month! We had a blast with everyone who came to Austin and feel o so cozy to have gotten to share our Hoogli with such wonderful people!! We enjoyed several occasions at the Springs, even my Dad took the plunge! Produced many a warm conversation and entered into just a little debate, which is impressive considering the close relavtivity to the Autumnal Equinox (tyson, rock the vote!). Overall we are very blessed to have such wonderful family and friends and admirers of our un poquito el producto de bebe!!! Shout out to my sis up in the high country, Happy B-day to Ashalottayoga!!! (dont forget to breathe) Big ups to my parents in Luber Bock, you guys rock and thanks for the soap!! To Molly, always a pleasure to have you hang out, we will get you moved someday!! And to the SuperBly couple that is Tyson and Meredith, hope you guys find a place to live. Ha! I am sure your next locale will be fitting for all your wonderful endeavors, go with love and light!!!! Friends that give you the shirt off their back and free guitar lessons, we love yall! Denny smiles and says dont forget Mom, thanks Ginny for being you, so patient with all my socializing! Also, thanks Cameron and Anna or annA for hosting a vondervul brew and Q!!! Denny said he had a blast, but next time he wants some of that beef bacon!!! Vote with Hope! (wink, wink!) Everyone is invited back anytime and sooner than later because our lives are too short not to share!!!!

Springs and BBQ

2008-10-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

2008-10-01T08:44:00.000-07:00

Hi Mom!, says the little alligator. See, when we both puff out our cheeks, we look exactly alike. Oh, Denny said he was taking part in the puffing. The morning is going swimmingly. We have taken part in painting, feeding, burping, bathing, and playing silly noise games. We also watched a special on PBS about the NeoNazi surge in Chile???? Oh the desperate youth....So I told Denny we were going to start our own club. Its called The Bouncy Bouncy Wiggle Wiggle Shake Shake Woogy Woogy!!!! Our only meeting was very productive....I told him the name of our group and he thought it was really funny, then he peed on the floor. So I cleaned it up and put a diaper on his little bottom. We will write our mission statement next time....Bye Bye!!!

ACL, the Poor House, and a Big Baby Update

2008-09-30T14:30:00.000-07:00

Well, Trevor and I left Baby Denny for the first time last weekend. Friday night, Denny enjoyed spending time with his Aunt Anna. And Saturday, Denny spent the day with Grandma Molly, while we enjoyed the Austin City Limits Music Festival. Our angel was, of course, on his best behavior, and we did, after all, survive the separation. Next year, however, if we can afford it, Denny takes on ACL with us. Kids 10 and under may attend free. Hooray!

October brings on the first month of our experiment, How to Survive on One Income. We approach the challenge with hope and determination and realize, with the current financial crisis, many more Americans, hopefully none of you, may too embark on a journey down Dirt Poor Trail. I can honestly say, though, just by watching Trevor interact and bond with Denny, I am totally confident we’ve made the right decision for us. Denny is so fortunate to have the experience of such a loving, hands-on father, and I couldn’t ask for a better partner with which to start a family.

At thirteen weeks, Denny is beginning to control his hands. His main mission is to grasp objects with his hands and bring them to his mouth. He would like to eat his entire world for now. He has taken a particular liking to his thumb, sucking it vigorously to both calm and entertain himself. He's also started clicking his tongue to the roof of his mouth. While occasionally, he experiments with high-pitched squealing, he most often repeats a fairly monotone ooh-ooh-ooh. He babbles to his mobile and his frog rattle.

This week he officially outgrew the insert in his car seat and the snappy clasp for his diapers. He's a big boy, so I'm often startled to see babies his size or even smaller appearing much more developmentally advanced. I have to remind myself that these babies are older and in due time, Denny will begin to exhibit similar behaviors.

His personality is really starting to emerge. He is most charming after a nap and often tests out smiles while he nurses. He is still extremely laid back, easy to put to sleep, and in all ways, an utter joy.

More pics from this week

2008-09-24T18:09:00.000-07:00

2008-09-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

Greetings all and well wishes to all who enter. Denny had a special visitor today. Tia Teri swooped into the Woods house to get a peek at some devilish smiles and toothless grins!! Congratulations MVP! As always, The Woods bid you a fond farewell and a strong investment portfolio, GoodNight!

Praise Mama!

2008-09-22T13:10:00.000-07:00

Oh Mama! Thank you beautiful lady, for being such a fabulous mama and wife. You are lovely in all the worldly ways.

Bananarama!!

2008-09-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

He is a natural.

Look What Ike Blew In

2008-09-21T17:56:00.000-07:00

The Twelfth Week

2008-09-21T16:17:00.000-07:00

Denny Boy is 12 weeks tomorrow, and let me tell you, the 12th week was a doozey. Hurricane Ike blew the Toon Crew into town. It was a rather splendid time with messy purple-popsicle explosions, nude beaches, toasty Velveeta aftertastes, elephant footsteps, the Anna-turned-nanny naughty chair, and laughter all around. Baby Denny usually began the day about 6:15am and sounds of Austin playing Cars followed soon after. Tyler was very interested in starting a "Boys Club," and Ashtyn was ever so keen on the Baby. In fact, she wanted to know everything about him, including his future schooling arrangements. She was, as always, a big help, and when the chance arose, she handled the baby with great care. We enjoyed a strangely serendipitous week, allowing a great deal of bonding and "Family Time." The Woods very much enjoyed The Toons!!! Thanks Ike!!!!

Also this week, Denny impressed his mother and father with some developmental leaps and bounds. Just this week, he has begun to reach for things, his rattle, his daddy's nose, and most often, his feet. We also heard his first giggles. He loves it when Mommy's head nuzzles his belly. Very cute, although he can also grab hair!!! When placed on his tummy, he can hold up his head and look from side to side. I fear it won't be long until he's rolling over. His favorite book is Who's Zoo. The pictures of the zebra and the toucan bring him great excitement. He loves it when Daddy sings and politely engages Mommy's gibberish.

Denny Pooh

2008-09-21T14:28:00.000-07:00

Our love and light!!

2008-09-21T14:20:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! All The Woods are present and delighted to be blogging our way into family history. So we will be experimenting with various methods of bloggage including poetry, rap, photos, videos?, lifetime-movie-like tales of love and hardship, nostalgia and emotional forays to seek the depth of the human spirit! Also, just providing a web based library for our newsest and best looking frog, Denny Boy!!! Blog you later!