A little fresh air in Day 3 of YBHA VI

No, I didn't mismatch dress Noah, it was PJ and Movie day.

Let’s face it. This spring has stunk. It seems we’ve only had one flirtatious afternoon with nice weather.

Today wasn’t great, but nice enough to head to the green park.

It was time to leave the dancing indoors and get some fresh air.

Noah had a nice day at school as Thursday is the traditional pajama/movie day. He got some new Spider-Man PJ’s for his birthday and he was excited to wear them. He didn’t have any problem with wearing them while biking down the street.

Oh to be 5 again.

Levi liked the slide, even when his brother helped.

Levi continues to grow at the playground. During an earlier trip to the green park, Levi started climbing a lot more on his own. He even wants to tackle the big kids slide.

That is, when the big kids aren’t climbing up the slide. (How many of you say, politely, to the wrong-way children to only go ‘down’ the slide?)

I feel a little bit bad saying something to other kids, but soon enough my boys will be tracking wood chips up the statically charged plastic circle of death and setting bad examples for the next generation.

Levi did seem to find a used or at least soft, Now’n'later. His hands were delicious.

Time for some Play-doh fun at Grandma and Grandpa's.

The trip to the park came after Grandma Paula and Grandpa Wil rescued us again. They watched the boys for an hour so I could mow the lawn wild prairie last night.

Tonight I had my first ever Tee-Ball coach’s meeting. We will be the Angels. Any advice to the rookie skipper? I hear snacks are a big hit.
I was thinking more of windsprints on the first day to send a message.

Too harsh?

How about just getting to first base without crying?

See you tomorrow for another fun-filled YBHA adventure. Join us next time when you hear Levi say, “No.”

We like to dance during YBHA VI

Are these Easter outfits made for Dancin'? U Bet!

Music can do wonders.

We know it makes it feel better and can bring a smile to face.

It can also make toddlers and little boys happy.

Since the first of the year, we’ve really started to listen to more music in our house. The boys already listen to a bit of music while at daycare. Noah’s class spends time between country and pop. He hears Star 102.5 a lot. This means he’s very familiar with Justin Bieber. He recently got his first CD and it was Justin. I may have to play the Eric Hanson version of the song.

Levi hears music and has that cute toddler dancing thing down. I’m still trying to record his moves to share with the world.

We will pull out the iTunes during dinner when Mom is gone. Since we are in Yeager Boys Home Alone (YBHA) VI Day 2, we had a little music with our supper.

Since the Wartburg College Castle Singers were in town and we were unable to go, I decided a little Nate Vaughn was in order. Nate is a senior at Wartburg. He’s in Castle Singers, the same group Amy and I were in years ago. I’ve gotten to know him through several connections.

Nate’s a creative guy with a bright future. He and some of the other Communication Arts students had a little fun last year with Miley Cyrus’ Party In The USA. Spencer (another former Castle Singer), Gabi, Amanda, Abbey and Mac were the stars of the show.

I know, exposing Noah to Miley is only asking for trouble, but this was a good exception. We had a little fun. We listen to Margaritaville (The Salt Song), Paradise City (much to the head shaking of mom) and even Hey Ya from Outkast.

I don’t have them asking for Arcade Fire yet, but we’ll get there.

See you tomorrow.

YBHA VI Starts With A Delay

Momma and her boys before departure.

The Yeager boys are left alone again.
What could possibly go wrong this time? Another knot the size of Italy? A trip to the surgeon? All of Europe being shut down for Royal Wedding?

Each of these work trips has been an adventure. Some, more than others.

We learned from the last delayed return trip from Holland.

What started out as an excuse for a family photo has turned into a superstition buster. We didn’t take a picture with Amy, Noah and Levi in April and she had some extra time on the company dime.

This departure was a little different as it came during the week and not on a Saturday. So, we took the group picture the night before her adventure. I guess I should have gotten both boys up this morning as Amy’s flights were delayed and rerouted for a six-hour stretch on Tuesday. She originally was headed to Detroit with final destination of Amsterdam. Now she’s flying through Minneapolis.

So, her boss and the other traveler in their group used the Des Moines International Airport as their remote office to plow through some email this afternoon.

The storms finally cleared and her flight landed in MSP then took off for Holland.

Our first day was pretty good. Noah had Kindermusik tonight. He’s of the age where he gets about 30 minutes with Miss Tina and the last 15 minutes with families. So Levi and I hung out in the hall waiting for our time to come in and see what Noah had done. Levi is pretty good during family time as he thinks it is pretty cool to be in the same room as the big kids.

When we got home, it was bath time and bed. Both boys were tired and went to bed pretty easy. I think they are still tired form Noah’s birthday gatherings. Let’s hope they sleep well and be good for Dad. Otherwise, they may not get their surprise later in the week.

Join us next time when we talk about the songs we listen to here in the U.S.A.

Closing in on 5

Noah brought the charm early. Hes only 30 days old in this picture.

My little boy Noah is closing in on his 5th birthday. Can you believe that? It seems like only last week we brought our first-born from the hospital to our house in Bettendorf.

Now he’s getting ready for kindergarten in the fall.

During his lifetime:

He attended his first baseball game (Swing of the Quad Cities)

Seen the St. Louis Cardinals in person and 12 total MLB games.

He’s moved to Ankeny.

Noah at his first Wartburg/Central football game.

The St. Louis Cardinals won the 2006 World Series.

Gone to countless Iowa Cubs games.

Been bored to death by his father.

Talks more than his father. (“I’m just kidding.” That’s his new line.)

Learned to walk.

Learned to ride a bike.

Learned that mom is the coolest.

Got a Twitter account.

Noah grows his first goatee.

Got a new brother.

Threw up in the car.

Driven a tractor.

Had his tonsils removed.

Signed up to play on his first tee-ball team.

Caused a lifetime of memories.

Constantly embarrassed by his father on this blog and in the Twitter world.

I can’t wait to do it for another 5 years.

IBNA Membership Drive

Hello readers.

Many of you are working in a radio or television newsroom right now as you read this. Thanks for your support. Now I’m asking for your support again. I am a board member of the Iowa Broadcast News Association. We are currently looking to improve our membership roles.

Historically, stations will pay one fee and all members of a newsroom are covered. We are now asking each individual journalist to join as some stations have cut this item from the budget. Membership is only $15 and you can take that with you when you head to your next job.

The following is a letter being sent out across the state. Please take time to consider joining IBNA (it is for journalists, PR pros, students and others interested in our mission. Visit this site for more factual IBNA information)

We are holding the 2011 convention at the Stoney Creek Inn just off 86th street in Johnston. The big day is April 30. The convention begins at 8:30 and will close with our dinner and awards that night. Bob Franken is our keynote this year. There’s also a big gathering planned for Friday night at the State Historical Building in Des Moines to honor Jack Shelley.

We hope you can join us.

Dear Iowa Broadcasters, the IBNA wants you.

Your dedication to the advancement of broadcast journalism in Iowa is vital to our state, not to mention our industry.

We are in a trying time in our industry. Journalism is under attack with claims of political bias, budget constrains and demanding bosses wanting more with less. While our ownership groups have profits in mind, we have good stories, responsible reporting and keeping our jobs as motivators.

None of these pressures can give us an excuse to take our craft any less serious. The Iowa Broadcast News Association wants to make sure members have the tools necessary to perform your job the best you can.

IBNA is committed to you and your efforts

This means IBNA has to understand what you’re doing and needing. The board of directors serves as your connection to what the organization does, and what we can do, to best help the profession of journalism.

We ask for your support in membership

We will continue to fulfill our mission to improve electronic media news gathering and presentation for our stations and the public we serve. IBNA also provides free legal assistance over issues of open and public records and court proceedings.

Each year, Iowa’s best journalists are honored during our annual convention and awards presentation. What better way to understand the state by meeting those who work here with you in neighboring towns and competing stations. Convention sessions are driven to cover relevant topics in all our newsrooms.

The organization also has a strong interest in philanthropy and educating future journalists. We offer scholarships to the best and brightest students who are entering this field.

IBNA members also receive quarterly publications including trade news, educational opportunities and job listings.

What else does membership get you? If that doesn’t sound good enough, how about some cool member cards that double as press credentials?
Membership fees are minimal and cover costs of operation. No one is making a profit.

There’s strength in numbers

That’s where you come in to this conversation. Consider joining IBNA today to continue working on your future.
We thank you for your membership support in the past and want to make sure you sign up for another year. Just $15 keeps you active in IBNA. Tell your friends, co-workers and competitors. We want to see you all in Johnston in April 30th and beyond.

Sign up today by visiting this website: http://ibna.org/membership.html

Thank you for your time,
IBNA Membership Committee

Matt Breen, KTIV – Sioux City
Bob Fisher, KGLO – Mason City
Amy Fleming, KIMT – Mason City
Jonathon Gregg, Communications Research Institute – Oskaloosa
Beth Malicki, KCRG – Cedar Rapids
Gary Metivier, KWQC – Davenport
Paul Yeager, Iowa Public Television – Johnston

5 good minutes in April ’11

This blog is all over the map. I admit that. I’ve got friends still reporting and anchoring and recovering from brain tumor removal surgery. (BTW, Fran was scheduled to go home on Monday. It is a miracle.)

One thing I do is keep track of my two boys. I like documenting their progress in life and the changes that are happening to them.

I started 2011 off in full detail, but recently I’ve spared you from too many mundane happenings, I leave those for their twitter feeds. @NoahYeager and @LeviYeager/

Each month I try to have a 5 minute conversation with the boys. The talk with Noah is pretty easy to do. The conversation with Levi is a little more challenging.

Noah is getting ready for kindergarten. He likes school, Toy Story, baseball, soccer and his mom. Here, we talk about a few things happening with him as he gets ready to graduate from preschool.

He’s the ham. I’m not sure where that comes from.

Levi is a little hard to pin down for an interview. He doesn’t like to be on the other side of the camera. He likes to see himself on my iPhone camera. It is a good thing he can watch himself while I talk to him. His ability to talk is quickly progressing. He’s babbling a lot (still not sure where that comes from) and now starting to form words. Since I recorded this video on April 5, 2011, he’s doing some animal sounds and more words like ball, mom, dad, papa and his best, no.

He’s a dancer, but I don’t have that fully captured on video yet.

The knot on his head looks much better and his eyebrow is slowly starting to grow back.

He’s got a way

Fran Riley and Paul Yeager in the KWQC-TV6 Newsroom in September of 2006.

There are few like him in the world, let alone in the media.

I can’t begin to fully describe Francis J Patrick O’Riley to you. My stories will be the same as anyone who’s ever met him, worked with him and most importantly, watched him in KWQC.

He’s a great co-worker, storyteller and most importantly, friend to all he’s dealt with over his nearly four decade career.

Right now, Fran Riley needs our prayers and support.

This week, he underwent surgery to remove a tumor on his brain. The doctors think it is the non-cancerous kind. I guess that’s good, but the words “brain tumor” get my attention.

Fran Riley's official KWQC-TV picture.

Fran was on a story last week with photojournalist Mike Colon. The pair was on assignment in rural Whiteside County near Morrison, Illinois. Following an interview, Mike took the camera gear out to the KWQC car and was waiting for Fran to join him to head back to the Quad Cities. But the interview subject came out to get Mike, saying, Fran didn’t seem right. Fran was dizzy, couldn’t stand up and was having a little trouble breathing. Fran was taken to the Morrison hospital where the doctors determined he needed to go to Iowa City for further treatment.

There, the doctors confirmed he had a brain tumor. He would have to stay in Iowa City to get ready for surgery. Fran is no stranger to hospitals as he’s been there before to have his heart worked on.

Just like before and now, Fran’s demeanor took over. He’s been in excellent spirits his whole life, including right now.

If there’s ever a case for “laughter is the best medicine,” Fran would never so much as have a headache.

Fran Riley2 KWQC It

Fran is a rare breed. He’s from Boston, Massachusetts and loves living in the midwest and he’s a good guy reporter. He’s been in the QC for almost, gulp, 40 years. He started as a weekend sports anchor at WHBF-TV before he was later  named sports director.

Following the one of thousands shown the door at Channel 4, Fran landed right side up across the river at KWQC-TV6 News. Fran reported and anchored for several years, anchored Saturday morning’s 630a and 9a newscasts. Those shows are memories right now, but Fran is not.

Mr. Riley’s been asked to cover every type of story. His best, are the features that put him in the middle of the singing valentine’s or school children’s good project. But he could knock a breaking news live shot out of the park with his clipboard and tape recorder in hand, all the while keeping his hair perfect.

The stories I remember most are Fran’s Saturday morning stories. After he would anchor the 9a news, he would head out, more times than not, to a parade. Everyone loves a parade, including Fran. He would sing Christmas carols at the Festival of Trees parade, the monster mash during Halloween parade and kiss the blarney stone, breaking out his heritage’s hits for St. Patrick’s Day. He’s be hanging out at the Bix, or a carnival or just plain laughing with people while putting his arm around them.

When I would arrive for the evening weekend shift, Fran and I would talk about the Cardinals or Cubs and usually did a little play-by-play with each other. We did this for six years and it was one of the best things about the job.

I’ve laughed with this guy during and now after my time in Davenport. I can hear his laugh today and have thought about it a lot this week. We were a family at 805 Brady Street.

Photo: Submitted Fran Riley, here with wife Marilyn, had surgery for brain cancer this week. Despite what he's dealing with, his always-sunny attitude is intact. (QCOnline.com)

He’s got help now in providing smiles all over the Quad Cities. His wife, Marilyn, is a bright ray of sunshine herself. Marilyn and Fran are two incredible people together who have been through a lot in their lives apart and now are dealing with another tough chapter, together.

There was a nice story by John Marx of the Argus/Dispatch about Fran. Great work, John. Here’s the link to that story. (The surgery was Thursday and was going to be at least an 8 hour procedure).

The doctors said they would only have to make a smaller cut to get to the tumor. So, his blond hair should stay and will soon be blown about in a live shot.

My best to Fran Riley, KWQC TV6 News.

Knot for long

Levi stands in Noah's way.

It is a good thing my little guy won’t remember much from this part of his first 18-months of life. He will though, have some scars to point to as a reminder of what happened under his dear Mom and Dad’s care.

First, it was surgery to remove a cyst from above his eye.

Now, he’s got a little something else to deal with and see in pictures when he’s older.

Sunday was a gorgeous day and finally a chance to get out of the house. Noah and I played a lot of baseball last year and he was itching to do so again this spring. We were doing really good at keeping Levi behind the batter, talking to Noah about making sure Levi is far away before swinging his bat and just being careful as the big brother swinging a bat.

Mission accomplished on the diamond.

Not so in the living room.

We had some friends over for dinner to chat about our pending trip to San Francisco (any ideas on things to do in the city and in the wine country?) on Sunday evening.

It was almost time for goodbyes when Levi and Noah were getting a little too close to each other.

Levi's forehead about 15 minutes after hitting the table.

Levi was bent over trying to pick out some markers to chew on, when Noah wanted to sit on the couch which was right next to where Levi was located. Noah didn’t shove Levi, but tried to move his body a little bit too strong and sent Levi straight into a table.

We heard an unfriendly thud and the silent cry.

You know the one.

For those of you who don’t allow your children to be injured, it’s the one where they do something that hurts so bad, the first scream is silent. The yelp is pinched off and is replaced by the face altering, lip curling, quiet shriek. Then comes the yell and whimper.

But little Levi didn’t fuss long. We tried to get some ice on it, but within seconds, we had a major bump on our hands, rather, forehead.

Levi is all smiles after his bath, even with a knot the size of Texas on his head.

Levi didn’t really complain during his bath. But rather, he was all smiles. You can see this picture after he was dressed, he was a happy camper.

We just couldn’t get over how fast that bump appeared. It didn’t seem to hurt, but he would fawn at it if we paid any attention to it during bath and books.

We gave him a little something for pain before bed and he slept all night until the morning.

When I got him up Monday morning, he was happy with smiles to share.

Levi was all smiles in the morning.

And that’s a good thing. It was picture day at his school.

He got a haircut on Saturday. Amy thought it may have been a bit short, but his hair was just long enough to cover the bump site.

I say site, because by morning, the bump was gone and all that was left was a little purple spot at the point of impact.

We will see how those pictures turn out and whether Levi only had glue left in his eyebrow.

I guess dad should have looked at the other side of his head.