Merry Christmas from Milk and O's!

We are back, and trying to crawl out from under the pile of Christmas gifts we brought home with us. We went down to Okabena on Friday after school, went to Great Grandma F's for the big family gathering on Saturday, opened gifts with Mike's family on Sunday morning, then drove to my parents' house to change and head to 4 o'clock mass. We had dinner and put the kids to bed, then played a game of Apples to Apples. We then opened more gifts on Christmas morning at Grandma and Grandpa J's. Bridget, Steve, and Maren left before lunch to get to their other grandma's, and we spent the day lollygagging at my parents' house in our pajamas. Monday evening, we finally got motivated to pack all of our stuff up and head back home. Mom and Dad followed behind, so they could watch the kids open presents from Santa at our house. What a marathon! All in all, it was a very nice Christmas, and it was fun to watch the kids' excitement.
It's been a tough transition back to being at home by myself, after a nice span of days being with other adults. Bridget and Steve stopped by for a visit yesterday afternoon, which was nice to spend some more time with Maren. She is such a funny little growler. She has a form of a crawl down, but backwards is her only direction. B was on all fours last week, and has been pulling up the past few days. He kind of grunts in frustration when sitting by himself, like he knows there is more he can be doing, he just can't figure out how to go about it. After sleeping terribly all weekend when we were away from home, the past two nights have been heavenly! He has skipped his 5:30/6 am nursing, and has been holding off until after 7, then going back to sleep until around 9 am!
Danielle says I should write more about myself instead of just my babies, so I'll try. I am going to complete a quick online CME once I'm done with this post, since I'm feeling the pressure of recertifying this year. I'm thinking of doing the take home exam, rather than taking the board exam online, but the take home option requires additional CME credits, and costs more. Well worth it, I think.
I am unsure what to think about my current hairstyle. I went for the bangs back in October, but if they are not cut above my eyebrows, they drive me insane! Also, they grow out so quickly, that it doesn't really fit with my usual trend of haircuts every 6-9 months or so. Haircuts every 6-8 weeks, are you nuts??!!? I'll keep practicing with the blowdryer, and see how it goes.
I'm planning on getting a handle on my eating, now that Christmas is over. I know, I know, such a cliche. Oh well, at least I'll be in good company. I haven't figured out yet how to get to the club- when Mike gets home, I don't want to rush out the door to workout, I'd rather hang out with him and the babies...so I'm going to work on my diet for starters. NO MORE NON-DIET POP! At least until I've lost the amount of weight I want to lose- then we'll see if I can learn the definition of moderation.
I got a Kitchen Aid mixer from my lovely children this Christmas, which also doesn't fit with the lose weight theme, since I can whip up cookies, cake batters, and pie crusts in a flash, but I'm very excited about the mixer none the less. I've wanted one for a very long time.
Hope you all had a wonderful time with your families at Christmastime; now, let's have a Rockin' 2007!!! Woo Hoo!!!!

Third Tooth!

Our little B has been working hard, and sometime between dinner last night, and 11:30 this morning, he popped out another tooth. Now he has two on the bottom, and the top left front tooth.

We had our last gymnastics class of the year, and after school on Wednesday and Friday mornings, we won't have any more activities to occupy us during the days of 2006! Aahrhrghgh- time for play dates to the rescue!

A said something the other day that totally cemented my desire to travel extensively- she was building a tower of stacking cups, and after putting the last cup on the top of her quasi-obelisk said, "this looks just like the Washington Monument!"

Frodermanns' Travels- Pics from Our Trip

Feeding My Two Year Old

"There are oats in my oatmeal, Mom!"....
"I don't want them in there."

Big Crabs call for Big Knockers

...or something like that- it was a t-shirt I saw during our trip to Maryland. We went Friday after school, and got back last evening. We went to visit our friends, Greg and Sasha, and their two boys, Alexi and Ollie. Mike and I fulfilled our seafood requirement for 2006! A tried calamari for the first time- she seemed to like it, as long as it was dipped in red sauce. We had Maryland blue crabs on two occasions, toured Baltimore and went to the National Aquarium, took a trip to Annapolis and walked through the grounds of the Naval Academy, went to D.C. to go up into the Washington monument, and hit the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.

Our daughter was quite comical on Sunday afternoon, during our outing to Baltimore. She was whining in the double stroller, and when we finally stopped to see what was the matter, she said she had wanted to sit in the grass "for just a little bit." There was no grass around, but we came upon a patch on our way back to the parking garage. She ran over to it, spread a blanket on her spot, and proceeded to lie in the grass, "for a little bit." Oh, the ideas this one has!

B and Ollie were two peas in a pod- just loved looking at one another, laughing, drooling, and generally being easy to please.

Now that we are home, the laundry is half done, and the Christmas cards have been ordered. I'm happy to say that the Christmas shopping was completed before we left for Maryland. What's up with this weather??? Bring on the snow!!!

Application of Knowledge

Since many of my readers have backgrounds in education, I thought you would appreciate this tidbit of learning: A has been learning musical terms at preschool (piano, forte, rest, etc.) Saturday morning we were hanging out in A's bedroom, and she states, "I just had some gas. That was forte!" Couldn't be more proud...

'Tis the Season!

A is so excited for Christmas this year! We took a wagon ride down the alley last night, and bought our Christmas tree. After the kids were in bed, Mike and I got to have our annual struggle centering the tree in the stand (is there an easy way to do it?), and were too depleted to do anything else with the tree after that. On the way home from school today, A asked if I would lay underneath the Christmas tree with her. I'm so glad she likes to do that, since it is something I remember doing with my sister when we were little. I will certainly do that with A, once we get the lights up. She has taking a liking to the various decorations I've brought up from the basement. She asked me to take the basket of berries off the table so she could see it better, and has carried it around the house, with the snow people decorations, and a "baby's first Christmas" tree that she got when she was 8 months old.

Our Little Collector

Christmas Joy?

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

We are getting our house ready for Christmastime! We moved the furniture around last night, and dusted in preparation for getting our Christmas tree set up this week. I have been enjoying the Christmas music in the car on 102.9 FM. I am in such a happy Christmas mood already this season! Ho ho ho!

Bennett (almost 9 months) and cousin Adryen (18 months)

Congratulations to Cynthia on the birth of her blog, Cynthia's Life: http://cynths-life.blogspot.com/. Now, we just need to work on one more.... Stokes, hello Stokes?

Fun Visit to SW Minnesota

We had another enjoyable weekend, visiting Grandma and Grandpa F. I started a new Thanksgiving tradition, that the women of the family go to a movie on Friday night, and leave the men at home with the babies. This year, it was just Mom, Sarah, and me, but hopefully next year Wendy and Darci won't have to work. We saw Casino Royale- my very first Bond movie- and I enjoyed it (more than I thought I would for sure). A slept like a champ at Grandpa and Grandma's house, and has been back on track since we've been back home. Thank goodness, because Mike and I were walking zombies after all the night wake-ups. She also is doing a fabulous job with going on the potty. All it took was a bag of gummy Lifesavers candy. A small price to pay for no more changes out of wet pants/underpants/socks. B had his 9 month well-child visit on Monday. His ear infection had cleared up nicely, and he weighed in at a healthy 18 pounds, 12 3/4 ounces (30th%). B and Daddy both got their flu shots, so now the whole family is covered. Shug is now eating a mixture of his special diet dog food, and his regular dry food, and got his sutures removed on Monday. He is back to normal as far as activity goes too- he's been playing in the yard with balls again, and took a nice walk along a creekbed with Mike and Grandpa this past weekend. I made Mike give me a No Burr guarantee before they set out, however.
My version of Rodin's The Thinker

"Where is ol' Daddy pants today?"- A inquires this morning as she sits at the breakfast table, noticing Mike is already at work. She's such a funny girl!

4#

That's the weight of the ball of tightly wound hair (around who knows what?) the vet removed from Shug's stomach on Friday during emergency abdominal exploratory surgery. He had been pheasant hunting with Mike last weekend, and got covered in cockleburrs. He worked diligently to pull them from his fur, and ate a fair amount of them, from the sounds of dry heaving we heard from him early last week. He was really lethargic, and was limping around when he wasn't sleeping. We got to visit him at the vet's on Friday night, and we brought him home Saturday morning, with two prescription medications, and a case of special dog food that we are to feed him 2-3 times per day. He is doing really well, and we are glad to have the old Shuggy back. I had to look through pictures for several months, before I glimpsed him in the background of one of B's sign pictures...who would think of photographing a mere dog, when there are adorable babies around all the time? I guess our million dollar dog merits a more recent pic- I'll get on that.

Fun with Cousins

Yes, I'm still here. I didn't have anything to post recently, and then all of a sudden we've been so busy that I haven't had time to blog anything. Please forgive me. We went to Okabena this weekend for a family wedding on Friday, and then got to spend the rest of the weekend just hanging out with Grandpa and Grandma (which if you know them, is really a rarity that they're at home), as well as A and B's cousins, Cody, Christine, and Corrine. A is really starting to have a good time playing with/near her cousins.

Last night, B woke up crying a few times, and spent some time downstairs on the couch, while Daddy caught up on his Tivo. Poor baby, he cried like I've never heard him cry before, like he was really in pain, so I called first thing in the morning and got him in to the NP. Sure enough, he has an infection in the left ear. This is a new thing for us- A has gone over two and a half years without ever taking an antibiotic. B's disposition may be more like Mike's, but his health and tendency to get sick are straight from me. I talked to Bridget this weekend (Happy 31st Birthday, Beep), and Maren has been a sick little baby too. She was on amoxicillin for an ear infection, and after taking it for 8 days, developed an allergic reaction on Saturday- all over her whole body. I am sending healthy thoughts to Madison, as well as upstairs to my sleeping babies.

We drew names for our Christmas celebration in Okabena, so I am ready to get off and running on my Christmas shopping. I hope to be done before we leave for our trip to Baltimore on Dec 8. Woah- December will be here in a flash. That's about all for now... Katie

Nice Weekend

We had a nice weekend at home. My parents came over and played with A and B, while Mike and I got to work washing the windows. I hope that we don't do it again until at least 2010. We've been in our house 4 years now, and this is the first time we've cleaned them from the outside. After church, I made two Rachael Ray recipes: Flounder Francesce (I had to use halibut), and Lemon Spaghetti. They were 30 minute meals, but I estimate it took me about 45 minutes.

Tomorrow we're headed down to Prior Lake to pick up the proofs from our photography session. I also have to head to a Walmart to pick up a gift from the registry for a wedding we are attending on Friday; that is never a pleasant experience for me (going to Walmart, that is, not attending weddings.)

Mac and Cheese Monotony

My daughter is keeping me in line! I should rent her out to Weight Watchers corporate. We went to my friend Heather's to have a Halloween playdate with Zach and Isabelle this morning. We were headed home for lunch, and thoughts of hot salty golden fries were dancing through my head. I thought better of it, and turned in to our alley. I was about to open the garage door, when I leaned my head on the steering wheel, unable to motivate myself to get us into the house to eat leftover macaroni and cheese, AGAIN. I started to drive past our driveway, and head to White Castle or somewhere, anywhere, when a shriek arises from the back seat, "Where Are You GOING???!?!!!" "Mommy was just kidding; let's get inside for another fulfilling home-cooked meal."

I have to write several things down that A has said lately, just so I can look back on this and remember how much fun she was as a 2 1/2 year old. I know it may seem like I'm bragging about how amazing and cute and clever I think my babies are, but I'm doing this blog pretty much to keep a record of what our days were like back in 2006, and this is what I want to remember, so please indulge me (or stop reading this- I don't care- it's my blog.)

Mike came downstairs the other night after doing A's bedtime routine to report, "your daughter requested that we pray for restaurants." Is that a comment on my cooking, or what?

She also said when we were reading Eat Your Peas, Ivy Louise, that the ringmaster of the sweet pea circus shouldn't stand on the other peas' heads, as they are set to be catapulted out the kitchen window on a spoon; "look at that guy, standing on their heads, that is unpleasant."

Also, A asks, "what's that all about?" and says that her brother is, "freaking out of his head." And yesterday when I had to wake her up from her nap at 5:30, and it was dark out already, "where has our day gone?"

Preserving Memories is Hard Work!

Not too much going on this week, yet I've been too busy to get a post up. Mike and I had a great time at the Gin Blossoms/Shawn Colvin/Josh Kelley show at the Fine Line on Saturday night with Danielle, Mark, Hope and Chad. And I don't know what the other girls' blogs are talking about- we are NOT old, and it wasn't hard to stay out that late! In fact, I think we should get together and do wild and crazy things like that more often! I'll plan the next event...

Our little A has been having such a good time at gymnastics class. She really has surprised me- now she is comfortable enough at the Little Gym, that she steps right up to do the demonstration of the skill of the week! She also reminds Teacher Lise about the order of things in class- now it's time for circle time, next jingle bells, next bubbles, and don't forget stamps (for her hands and bare feet)!

Wednesday, the kids in A's class wore their Halloween costumes to class. They were all so cute! Some moms remembered their cameras, so I do have a picture of them. I'll have to ask the rest of the class if it's okay to post it on my blog. Tomorrow is the Pumpkin Party. We went last year with Danielle, Charlie and George, and had a great time. This year Mike will be able to come with us too. I don't know if we will get B dressed as a chick or not- it's A's costume, and he is bigger than she was at her first Halloween, taller at least.

Mike and I enjoyed watching our friend Jeny from Texas on the Rachael Ray show this week. She was in the segment on progressive dinners, if you happened to catch the show. It was surreal seeing someone I know on TV! Good job B!

And this brings me to the title of today's post... Last night we had our family portrait taken. It was absolutely exhausting! We went to Pencil & Lens (www.pencilandlens.com), an in-home studio in Prior Lake. Joannie and Bob were the nicest couple- and so patient! I decided to go this route, rather than get pictures taken at JC Penney as I have in the past, because of A's severe dislike of the camera lately, and her issues with sitting anywhere near her brother. These factors make getting a nice picture of our family nearly impossible. I think we might have gotten a few shots where we were able to trick A into smiling for at least a millisecond, and hopefully the rest of us were looking at the camera too! I'll let you know if any of them turn out. Trying to get a picture of my babies together is definitely going to be a biannual event only! No more pictures of A until she's three! (B, on the other hand, was his usual jovial, drooly self.)

Happy Eight Months to my darling little B! You are such a joy in our lives. B is getting very, very close to creating some kind of locomotion technique. He is pushing up on his knees a little, and moving his feet. And he finally rolled from belly to back yesterday! I thought he was going to skip that skill entirely, and just move on to crawling, pulling up, and walking. Also, B is getting back to being a better sleeper at night. He is also going down for more regular naps during the day- they are looking to be about a 10 am nap, and after lunch when A naps. Yay! I might have a return of some sanity.

Here's to a great weekend!

Pigtail Cutie-Pie!

After a long hiatus due to adversity to smiling for the camera, my little ham ball is back!

Pear Mojito- Yum!

Drink It - One can drink too much, but one never drinks enough

We had a really great time last night at our friends Chad and Karen's house. They had a dinner party, and invited the gang (UMM housemates) and their wives and girlfriends. Chad made some excellent pear mojitos- see above recipe. But be careful- they are so drinkable! Or as Karen, who works in the restaurant biz, said- they would refer to a drink like this as a "patio poundable." A and B stayed at Grandma's house, and we were able to stay out late relatively guilt-free, because Steve, Bridget, and Maren came into town last night, and stayed at Mom and Dad's, so they stayed up with B until we got there. We picked up the kids after midnight, transferred to carseats relatively easily, and got them into bed without any fuss!

Tonight is another night of reckless abandon- Mom is staying overnight at our place with the babies, so we can go see the Gin Blossoms at the Fine Line Music Cafe. Too bad I don't have anything cool to wear, to match my new look. Yesterday, I had a wonderful spa day at Juut Salonspa in Wayzata- a gift from my loving husband for our 7th wedding anniversary. I started the day with a rejuvenating facial, then color/makeup/cut. Yay! Maybe I'll post a picture of the new 'do... Have a great rest of the weekend- I will!

Diagnosis: Bronchiolitis

Last night was the straw that broke Mommy Camel's back. B cried from about midnight until 3. At 3 I exclaimed to Mike, "tomorrow I am calling the doctor!" I then went down downstairs and sat amidst all of our boxes and junk and read a really bad book until about 5, when I went back upstairs. Yes, B was still crying, so I nursed him sitting up in bed until about 7:30 when A woke up and B woke up soon after. That was the start of our day. I was able to get a 10:40 appt, where B had perfectly healthy pearly white tympanic membranes. Arrghhghgh! Otitis Media would have been such a welcome illness. But no, we have a lame diagnosis which may very well stretch out another 2-3 weeks! Yippy! We did get the wonderful advice of, put a few books under his mattress, so he'll breathe a little easier.

A bonus of today's appointment was that A and I both got our flu shots taken care of for the season. A was such a trooper- not even a whimper or frown when she got her shot in the thigh. Tomorrow is gymnastics class for A, she is really excited, and keeps asking what day it is, because she knows that we go to The Little Gym on Tuesday.

So Tired

We've been having a heck of a time with B the past week or so. He hasn't been feeling well (stuffy nose and wheezing/crackling breathing), and might also be working on new teeth, but he has not been sleeping well at all- not at all during the day, and for short intervals during the nighttime. The car is no longer my magic trick; we went to Mall of America on Saturday, and I looking in the carseat when we got there, and to my surprise a pair of big browns was staring back at me, same thing during the stroller ride in the mall, as well as when I opened the car door to remove his carseat when we were back in our garage after the outing. He only slept for about twenty minutes in Mike's arms before dinner last night. Today called for tough love- we let him cry it out for naptime and bedtime tonight. He fell asleep in about 10 minutes each time. I hope he learns how to put himself to sleep soon- listening to him cry just kills me.

I went to my friend Candy's today for a catch-up on crafts session. It was such a great idea- everyone brought their scrapbooks, photo albums, card making supplies, etc. Now if I could only focus on my own project- baby books. Next time, I'll come better prepared with what I need to make some progress on the books. A's is pretty much completed, I just have to fill in some blanks and put in pictures from her first and second birthday parties. B's should come together pretty easily- I hope.

Tomorrow I think we'll go to story time at the Wild Rumpus bookstore, and Tuesday we start gymnastics class- A is so excited!

Tidbits

Maren and Bennett- both at 4 months old

Just a few items for those of you paying close attention to Milk and O's.

Broccolini went over very well the other evening at dinner, that is, I enjoyed it so I will be making it again. It kind of tastes like broccoli crossed with asparagus or green beans. Really good lightly coated with olive oil and sauted garlic.

Also, we didn't go to the apple orchard when Mike had the day off yesterday, because they wouldn't have had the hay rides. So I think we'll plan a Friday afternoon trip, of course only if Mike can get away from work a little early....do you think that might happen, wink, wink?

I don't think I've mentioned yet that our darling little boy now has teeth! Mike noticed his first tooth (bottom, on the right) on Sunday the 24th, just 4 days shy of B being 7 months old. He cut another one early last week (bottom, left). This is a change from B's sister, where we waited and waited and waited until after 9 months old for her first tooth! And speaking of first teeth- my niece Maren now has her first tooth, and she is just four months old!

Iowa- Campers' Paradise?!

We had a wonderful time on our family cabin-camping trip at Dolliver State Park outside of Lehigh and Fort Dodge, Iowa. Grandpa J with B in the bjorn, Grandma J, Mike with A in the backpack and I went on a nice hike on Saturday, and the colorful fallen leaves were gorgeous. After lunch at our cabin, someone's making a deposit in the potty prompted us to visit the Nifty Fiftys ice cream shoppe in nearby Lehigh. Time has stood still for this little Iowan town.



Nok and Pat's wedding reception was very nice. We visited with some of my relatives, whom we rarely get to see, and A was excited to wear her fancy "two year old picture dress." B was a hit with the bride and her mother, Wasana, visiting from Thailand. Wasana treated us to a Thai song, accompanied by the karaoke machine after dinner.












This morning we went to a trial gymnastics class- A loved it! It was great to see her holding herself up on the parallel bars, and she did a backwards roll (with spotting from teacher Lise). She also ran around on the mat with the boys in class, which was surprising for me to see. We are definitely going to sign up for a weekly class; it will be some nice mother/daughter time for us.

This and That- Lost notes

1. Mike and I have to start watching Lost on Wednesday nights, otherwise we have to hide from the world at large until we get around to watching it. Danielle and I had an abbreviated phone conversation today for fear of her divulging key plot twists; I peeked at B's blog and saw that it also discussed yesterday's season premiere.

On a more fun LOST note however, are some more neat things we learned last night while watching the Lost Survival Guide. Like for example: 4 + 8 + 15 + 16 + 23 + 42 = 108!
Woah. They also showed a scene from when Hurley was riding a scooter through the airport, he went past a volleyball (or some sport of teenaged girls) team and they were standing around in a group, and their jersey numbers, in a line were, yup, you guessed it...

2. Innocence Lost. Tuesday evening I poured myself a luscious cup of Mountain Dew on ice, and left it sitting on the coffee table for a moment when I went into another room for some reason. Mike walks into the room, and I hear, "Annie, what are you doing?" A puts down my cup, and says, "mmmm, tasty-- like lemonade!" Now you know how I feel about JUICE, imagine- she didn't have juice, and not just pop, but the champagne of all pops- my toddler did the Dew! She has never had a sip of any kind of carbonated beverage before, never shown any interest in trying it, and here we are, with her guzzling it! Never again. Please don't chide me about this, I feel bad enough as it is.

I did my grocery shopping for the Iowa cabin camping weekend last night; tonight will be our packing night. Other than packing, I plan on cooking a little Rachael Ray meal to snack on, when we return this evening from some family errand running: toasted spinach and cheese ravioli with tomato/garlic/roasted red pepper dipping sauce, mozzarella sticks, and garlicky broccolini. I've never tried broccolini before- I'll let you know what I think next post.

Gorgeous Day!

October 2004
October 2005- the famous "cheeseface"
October 2005- A at Emma Krumbee's in Belle Plaine, MN

The beautiful sunshine and warmth were welcome companions as the kids and I walked the Northern trail at the zoo this morning. We got to the zoo bright and early, and watched the 10 am dolphin show, did the outside animals, and then headed to Mike's office to whisk him off to lunch. We lunched at Quizno's, and a good time was had by all. Mike is going to a going-away happy hour for a co-worker, so I am on my own with the kids for supper tonight. I think I'm feeling like popcorn...

We are going to Fort Dodge, Iowa this weekend for my cousin Pat's wedding reception. We are staying in a family cabin at a nearby state park. I am looking forward to plenty of fresh air, campfires, and walks in the woods. Hopefully A will agree to a ride in the backpack carrier, otherwise it will be a pretty slow, and short, walk with her on foot.

School continues to be lots of fun for both A and myself. Most moms in the class actually have older children; there are only a few of us with younger babes at home, so maybe there will be a lot to learn from the seasoned veterans. Our house is quickly filling up with artwork. Luckily Christmas is coming up- we'll have plenty of wrapping paper without ever having to buy any at the store.

I am planning on a family day at the apple orchard next Monday, since Mike has Columbus Day off from work. Otherwise, we don't have too much going on- just a happy hour in the works for Thursday night. Have a great week!

Check This Out!

Bookmark this to your favorites page: The H House
Congratulations HH on caving in to our relentless nagging.

Explanation

I was videotaping the kids yesterday, and amidst his raspberry blowing, B sounded like he said, "hi Annie." It was really cute, and I wanted to share it with you. This is my first attempt at audioblogging, the clarity of the recording might not be the best because I was recording it from the camcorder via my cell phone's speakerphone. And then transmitting it to my blog via my high speed internet connection. Talk about technology!

Little B's First Words...

Looking Forward to a Weekend

I am going out to dinner tonight! Yes, that's right, I didn't say we- Mike is staying home with Joy #1 and Joy #2. I am going to Salut with my friend since grade school, Kim. I am looking forward to a meal which doesn't involve helping someone keep a straw upright in a cup of milk. Bridget, Steve, and Maren will be in town this weekend to attend a wedding, and we hope to see them at some point during the weekend.

I had fun picking A up from school today. They read The Secret Birthday Message, by Eric Carle, which A already has, thanks to Grandma and Grandpa J. They also talked a lot about birthdays (great, we already talk about her birthday enough!) To my surprise, A ate a blueberry muffin which the class made with the help of Teacher Lisa! Woah- now if she can just remember that she liked it, next time we offer her one. Actually, she ate the top of the muffin, and the rest was sent home with us in a baggie. Teacher Sue told me that A was watching everyone eat their muffins, then she finally tried licking the top of her muffin, and finally started to eat the top, and Teacher Sue had to take her muffin away, since the class had already moved on to the next activity.

Have a great weekend, all! Love, K

Mr. F is back!

Yay! It was a long two days, but Mike is home from San Fran. He is exhausted, and now has more work to do than before he left, but it is great having him home. I did really well with the kids; having dinner with Danielle and the boys last night really helped. Danielle made an excellent dinner- see her blog for the corn fritter recipe(http://www.areyoueffingkiddingme.blogspot.com/) My Texas friend, Mrs. B, sent a bumbo chair UPS today, for B to try. Her little Miss F was not a fan of the bumbo chair after approximately 3 days. Let's see if it was worth mailing to us to try it. If you don't know what a bumbo is, that's okay, it was new to me too. Amazing how quickly things change in the world of baby-rearing, even two years ago it was a whole different ballgame. If B likes it, I'll post his picture so you can see him happily sitting up, and to get a glimpse of the revered Bumbo.

Hanging On

What an isolating day... sometimes this staying at home with babies is lonely work. I'm doing well though, Mike was off for San Francisco before the kiddos woke up this morning. We didn't go anywhere until I absolutely had to get out of the house, so we went to Old MacDonald's for supper, because we couldn't rustle up any other action. Everybody busy with their own stuff, I guess.

Now I have to get everything lined up on the counter, so we can be out of the door no later than 8:20 tomorrow morning. I have A's outfit layed out already, so there hopefully will be no discussion about that in the morning; B is going to school in his pajamas (again, poor second-born). I showered this afternoon, while A whined about something, sitting on the bathroom floor, and B cried in his travel swing in the shower area with me, so I will be ready to go tomorrow (with crazy, frizzy, air-dried hair, no less). Diaper bag for B, backpack with change of clothes for A, car breakfast for A, kids' snacks for tomorrow and Friday, and adults' snack for tomorrow! Wooh! ( I know that Danielle thinks this is no big deal, but it's still a really challenging feat for me.)

I was going to post a picture of our motley crew today, so Daddy wouldn't miss us too much, but I never had a good opportunity to snap one. B was cracking us up on the way to McD's with his talented raspberry-blowing.

Lost tidbit

In the Buddhist context, Dharma means “existence”, but it also means the
teaching about what actually exists.

Lost is such a cool show. All of the little things that jump out at me, sure enough, when I check on the internet, turn out to have some cool symbolism. Like for example, wondering what Dharma meant after seeing it in the hatch all the time.

Flashback to October, 2004

Loves to Eat!

Who doesn't? Anyway, that was specifically referring to B. Poor B- he wears pink gingham well, doesn't he? It is going to be so much fun feeding this kid! He has eaten everything we've tried so far. Today we tried sweet potatoes. It's funny, I've heard about kids grabbing at their parents' food, but since A never did any of that, it's neat to appreciate another difference between my children. B grabbed Mike's grilled cheese sandwich right off his plate yesterday.

Yesterday and today were both pretty low-key, stick around the house days. We had our Chipotle Saturday, and went to church last night. A likes to hold my hand and walk up the aisle when I go for communion. Today B is wearing a Vikings sleeper, in support of his daddy's football habit. A has been very enthusiastic about doing art lately; yesterday was with sparkly paint tubes on butcher block paper. We bought an easel at Ikea, but haven't gotten it assembled yet.

Mike goes on a business trip to San Francisco on Tuesday and Wednesday this week- look for some posts of frustration after single parenting for two days straight. Darn the US postal system, that mail isn't delivered on Sundays. We've finished Lost disc 4, and have to wait until tomorrow to return it, and get disc 5, probably by Thursday. Oh, I guess we could keep plugging away at ER in the meantime.

Note to self in 15 years: When I was putting A in her carseat after school on Friday, I leaned in for a kiss, and she said," mommy's hair is brown, just like chocolate milk." I love her observations! Oh, and another one from this morning, after she wiped, "toilet paper is yellow when it's not white." True.

Thursday

School was fun yesterday. It has been hard trying to figure out what A really thinks of school yet. I think it's going to take her a while to decide that she likes it; as for me, it will be really nice to have a few hours with A in class and B in sibling care, to discuss parenting topics with other moms. B did really well in sibling care. I think he loved all the uninterrupted attention. He had a bottle at 10, and actually napped from 10:15-10:45, which really surprised me, since I didn't think he'd nap while there. He was in the exersaucer when I came to pick him up, just beaming. I was told that the other kids came up to him while he was in the 'saucer, and that he just loved that. I bet. He is already so enamored with A, and with Shug. They are quite interesting, I would imagine, to a six month old.

Mike and I are finishing up Lost, with disc 4 arriving in the mail today. We watched the first episode of ER from last season last night, I think it is a good idea to not have anything on your Tivo for longer than a year. Hopefully we'll be able to tear through the rest of the season (20 more episodes) at record pace. It was pretty hard to get back into after a year break, quite truthfully.

B got his 6 month picture taken yesterday. That darn kid- he was too cute! I was just planning on buying 1 sheet- a 5x7 to put on the photo wall, since I did the same for A's first year. Well, he decided to turn on the charm, and I got more pics than I had anticipated. Oh well, the poor boy deserves to be fawned over a little bit. It once again makes me glad that I am a firstborn.

B has now tried rice cereal (okay), oatmeal (really good), and now sweet peas (jury still out, icky looks decreased in frequency from breakfast to lunchtime). Good thing he's gaining weight nicely on breastmilk, since I barely find time to feed him even once a day. I'm sure it will get easier, as everything has over the past six months.

We're heading to my parents' land on Saturday to visit my aunt Alva Retta who drove from Maryland for a visit. Hopefully the weather will participate, and we'll be able to take a nice walk in the woods, to visit the tree we planted from Stokes and Andy's wedding.

Work the Plan, or not

Had a nice weekend, husband is back home, can't believe tomorrow is Monday already. Well, instead of Oceanaire, I asked Mike to cancel the reservations, and we went to Matt's for a juicy lucy, and then to the Lagoon to see Little Miss Sunshine. I'm happy with our change in plans. We had a really nice time, and Nok and Pat said that the kids were really easy. That's a relief. School went really well on Friday, as far as I can tell. We went to Old MacDonald's for lunch afterwards with another classmate to celebrate the start of the school year.

Mommy is a Mommy

We were discussing A's future occupation at breakfast this morning, and she is either going to be a cookie monster or a farmer. She also thinks that I should be a farmer, and have a purple windmill. Then she decided that I shouldn't be a farmer, because I'm a mommy. "Mommy is a mommy." I guess that's true. We had a great time at a place called the Splash Pad yesterday. We met with some old (not old in that way, the kids are all two) ECFE friends and played in the spraying water, played on the adjoining playground, and ate a picnic lunch. Yesterday afternoon was an open house at A's school. We visited her classroom for a second time, said hi to Teacher Lisa again, and then visited the gym and new/improved playground. We're all really excited for the coming school year. Tomorrow, that is!

Mike is going on a fishing trip with his dad and other relatives this weekend, so I am packing the crew up and heading down to my parents' house. Bridget, Steve, and Maren are heading into town, so it will be nice to see them too. Maren apparently is quite the little talker. It will be fun to see who talks more, little B or Maren. It seems to me that they are so far apart in age (3 months, versus 6), but I was thinking about it the other day, and they'll go to kindergarten the same year, they'll get their drivers' licenses at the same time, and graduate high school, both in 2024. I hope that they see each other often while growing up, and are close cousins.

Sunday is our 7 year anniversary. My dear husband has arranged a babysitter for Sunday night, and we are going out to Oceanaire for dinner. I need to start dress shopping...

Not Much Happenin'

Hey, we've just been hanging around the house, except for our trips into the world to get junk food. We are the only people left in town this Labor Day weekend, it seems. Yesterday we took the car to a shop in Prior Lake to fix the brakes, mailed a bunch of miscellaneous packages at the post office, and then ate chicken wings at bw3. Hard to believe there's one in Savage now. Mike did his fantasy football draft online last night, while we ate Jimmy Johns. Today was productive- we washed the floors upstairs (spit up puddles everywhere), changed sheets, cleaned the bathroom, put baby clothes back into the dressers, and used the noo noo (vacuum). We also had Chipotle for lunch, and carry out pizza for supper. We only have a few more episodes of Lost, season 2 on Tivo, before we have to get the DVDs from Netflix, to catch up before the new season starts.

Now, what ever will we eat tomorrow? A keeps asking to go back to the Fair. We've already gone on Saturday and Thursday. Both trips with the double stroller went very well, filled with Sweet Martha's, french fries (with ketchup! A always adds), cheese curds, deep fried dill pickle slices, mini donuts, ice cream, and milk shakes from the stand at the cow barn.

Oh! I don't think I've mentioned school yet. We went to our preschool conference to meet Teacher Lisa on Monday. A really liked the classroom, and was soon busy playing with the sand table, a bucket of dinosaurs, puzzles, and cars. We had to go straight from school to B's six month well child visit, and A requested that we return to school after the doctor's office. That's a good sign! We got a packet of papers, and I need to gather things (a white pillow case, 5 pictures of A, etc.) before school starts! Wow, my little girl is growing up. Also, speaking of growing up- B had his first rice cereal last Friday (the 25th). It went well, pretty unremarkable really, which hopefully is how feeding B continues to be. We deserve one easy child where food is concerned!

Two Minute Drill

Okay, let's get you up to speed. Sorry I've been away- I'm still reeling from my fastpitch overload week. Mike's season ended just after noon on Monday, when they lost 3-2 to earn 4th place in the 2006 NAFA world series. We got home Monday night, and I should have just taken the entire contents of the Pilot and thrown it in the washing machine, as a film of softball dust has enveloped us all.

Tuesday was a busy day; my cousin's wife Nok and I were grocery shopping to prepare for a Thai cooking class which we held at Danielle's house on Tuesday night. Nok is an amazing cook, and she made seven dishes for our Thai feast. We started cooking (actually, having a glass of wine, and mostly watching Nok cook) at 7, and didn't sit down to eat (gorge ourselves) until 10! The photo on the left shows a dish of cashew chicken which I made Wednesday night, after learning the secrets of Thai cooking on Tuesday night.

Wednesday and Thursday were catch up days for me. My mom came over and she and A had a great time playing in the back yard. I'm glad she was around, because taking care of B has been a full time job the past few days. He's been so fussy and uncomfortable, and has just been taking little catnaps throughout the day. I was worried that maybe he was fussy because of the spicy Thai food I had on Tuesday night. I've eaten Nok's cooking before though, without B having any problems.

Then I made a discovery! When I went into B's room around 6 am Thursday morning, his hands were cold, so I changed his nappy (I love that British term) and put him in a thick fleece sleep sack. He slept until I had to wake him to leave the house at 10 am! So I put him in the sleep sack last night too, and I had to pump at 6:30 this morning because I hadn't nursed him AT ALL during the night, the last feeding being around 10 pm! So now I think the whole time he's been waking up at night it's been because he was cold. Or not, who knows...

Mike's parents and sister Sarah came to stay with us last night. Sarah is showing a hog at the state fair. She had her competition at 8 this morning. We'll get to the fair one of these days, I'm just not sure which day yet. Tomorrow night Mike and I are going to go out for our friend Eric's birthday. His favorite cover band, Orange Whip, is playing at a bar, and since we have in-house babysitting this weekend, we are going to take advantage and stay out late!!! Woo hoo. We'll see if we're not sleeping with our foreheads on the bar by midnight.

Top Five in North America!

Today was a LONG day. We just got back from the ballfield. Mike's team fought their way into the top 5 teams of the tournament, by winning 4 games in a row today, starting at 11:30 am. There were times when things were going smoothly, when B was napping in the stroller and A was busy with markers and paper. There were other times when I wanted to be anywhere but in charge of my two wailing progeny. The wives of the other players who have older kids were sitting on the top row of the bleachers, tipping back some cold ones, and having a good laugh at my expense... not really, they were just amused by my exasperated facial expressions as I pushed the stroller around for another walk around the ball park. They think I would have done better if I'd started drinking- I think it would have just made me want to cry. The softball wives are also an inspiration to me, someday I can sit on the top bleacher and enjoy a frosty adult beverage while my children run around on the playground, and bring foul balls back to the umpires for a quarter each.

Tomorrow will be an early one- at the ball park for the first game at 8 am. Wish us luck!!! I told Mike we'd get NAFA t-shirts for the kids, and we'd take our picture with the trophy for our Christmas card if they won the whole thing! That's quite a concession on my part, if you know how I am about my Christmas card photo.

See you when we get back to MN!

Fighting Our Way Up...From the Losers' Bracket

Here we are in lovely Appleton, WI, site of the 2006 North American Fastpitch Association World Series. Earl's Club of Kenosha, WI won their first game of the series yesterday afternoon. Then in a move which Mike predicted, Earl's lost their 10 p.m. game because I wasn't there. That apparently has been a jinx in the past as well as yesterday. I was huddled in a hotel room in the dark, hoping that both my children would fall fast asleep, and stay that way for at least 8 hours. A kept asking for popcorn; she was starving because she hadn't eaten the lunch or supper we'd provided her, so a learning lesson was in place- eat when we feed you, being hungry doesn't feel good. Poor little belly... this morning, A had a hearty breakfast of bagel pieces with peanut butter, milk, and O's. Now I'm hearing a repeating mantra of, "should we get a swimming suit on for swimming????" Yes, we should. I'll talk to you later- gotta go, the pool is COLD!

Miami Ink, here we come?

I am having so much fun with my two babies. It is such a wonderful time- 28 months and almost 6 months. At both stages, they are changing so quickly and learning amazing things every day. I want to make sure and do some more fun summer things before summer is gone, and school starts. We need to swim in Lake Harriet at least once this season. School is going to be very fun this year, I think. A is already talking about her new class and teacher, and making me list the kids who will be in her class. She also is obsessed with singing the ABCs song...

One of my favorite things to do with B is to take a wet onesie off of him- he instantly starts giggling, smiling, cooing. He hates being wet, which is unfortunate, considering that he is the spittiest kid ever, and I can't ever bring enough onesies, bibs, and burp clothes wherever we go. He isn't as crazy as his sister was at this age, however, about being bare naked.

She has stayed true to that trait over the past two years, just today walking through the kitchen wearing a paper birthday hat (her "crown") and nothing else, dragging a paper balloon on a string behind her, talking about a birthday party- "it's a birthday party, it's a birthday party." She really has been into her birthday lately, discussing the importance of having birthday hats, and balloons, and presents and birthday cake. Her third birthday party should be a lot of fun, although I don't wish time to fast forward to that point. I'm enjoying living in the moment. Have a great day!