Livin' Laabs

2012-02-12T19:51:00.000-06:00

Caption Corner

How about a caption for this one?

Polar Bear Exhibit, Como Zoo, November 2011

2012-02-03T19:30:00.001-06:00

Heaven is For Real

I have to start this by first saying that Husband brought a book home for me this week, titled “Heaven is For Real.” It’s about a little boy who had a near-death experience and in the months following, provided very detailed accounts about heaven and specifics about relatives he saw there, that on earth he had never met. Husband read it in a day; I have not read it yet but it’s been on my mind given some of the conversations we’ve been having with Lucy lately. It was a book that my mother-in-law, Betty, read before she passed away last fall (a gift from her brother). It has been recommended to us by many people.

Fast-forward to this morning. We were all in our bedroom and out of the blue Lucy declared, “today is great-grandma’s birthday.” Husband looked at me, and I said, “it’s neither of my grandmas. Yours?” He thought about it for a minute and noted that he thought maybe one of his grandmas had a birthday in February.

We had not been talking about great-grandmas; we had not mentioned birthdays. We chuckled at how weird that would be if Lucy had it right.

You see where this is going?

It stayed on Husband’s mind, so he reached out to his sisters and a couple of uncles and cousins. He works at a law firm, so just to make sure, he had someone pull a few records. This is the email he sent:

“Good Morning,

I just sat down with our legal research person. They were able to pull up grandma’s death certificate, obituary and her birth certificate.

Grandma Mabel was born today February 3rd 1914..

Lucy was right this morning… it is great grandmas birthday today!!!”

When I read this, I was shocked. Looking at the words now, it still gives me chills. Husband called me, and I had tears in my eyes. Grandma Mabel, consequently, is Betty’s mother. Someone she was looking forward to seeing again in heaven.

How did Lucy know, when her own dad didn’t even know his grandma’s birthday? If you ask Lucy who told her, she gets a big smile on her face and says, "Grandma."

Heaven is for real, folks. There is an angel among us.

I didn't meet Mabel until her 90th birthday in 2004,

but I've always heard about what fun she was!

Betty is in the striped sweater and Mabel in the middle.

Betty and Mabel, not sure what year this is.

Brandon and Mabel in 1997.

He always had a special relationship with his great-grandma.

At our wedding in June 2006.

She passed away that fall.

2012-01-24T23:05:00.000-06:00

Gems of a Different Sort

I last wrote of some of my daughter's sassy "gems." Tonight she gave me another reason to pause at the wonder that is Lucy.

We were in the car, and Every Breath You Take came on the radio. I said, "Oh, Lucy - this is Mommy's favorite song."

She said "it's Jesus song?" referring to Away in the Manager (which remained in my CD changer long after the holiday in the form of John's Denver's Christmas album). "No, it's not Jesus song" I said, "that's not in here anymore."

Pause.

"Grandma's up with Jesus?" I turned down the radio. "Yes, honey. Grandma's with Jesus."

She continued, "she feels better now. She's not sick anymore."

"Yes, Grandma's not sick anymore."

"Mommy, Jesus loves me all the time."

Oh. My. Heart.

"Yes Lucy, Jesus loves you all the time."

This kid is so...I don't know. These are not things we have spoken of lately in particular, but just little things she remembers along the way. She will bring up Grandma at random times. She's had similar conversations with Husband, which as you can imagine, tugs at him pretty hard. These revelations often happen while one of us is driving with her in the car.

The meaning of the name Lucy is Light.

And boy, does she shine.

Love you, Lucy.

2012-01-10T20:54:00.000-06:00

Sassy Pants

Lucy was so full of gems tonight, I couldn't pass up the opportunity...

M: "Lucy, did you eat all your lunch today?"

L: "You packed onages [oranges]. I don't like those."
_ _ _ _

D: "It's tickle time."

L: "No, it's not tickle time."

D: "Tickle time!"

L: [with a stern look and a hand on his arm] "I said NO, it's NOT."
_ _ _ _

L: "Daddy, Mommy's going to play with me!"

D: "That's nice."

L: "Daddy, go away."

M: "Lucy, that's not very nice!"

L: "PLEASE go away!"
_ _ _ _

[while playing dress up, she draped a dress over my shoulders]

"You Super Mommy!"
_ _ _ _

M: "Lucy, can I comb your hair out of your eyes?"

L: [with not even a glance my way] "How 'bout not."
_ _ _ _

2012-01-01T20:57:00.001-06:00

Bringing in the New Year With Hairball

What's that you say?

Husband and I stepped out of our usual NYE routine and made some fairly last-minute plans to go out with friends. What was the event that got us out of the house? It was Hairball, a cover band focused on the hair bands of the 1980s. It was at a nightclub in an eastern suburb, so not only were we getting out of the house, but we were going across town and did I mention nightclub?

So Hairball. I was a tad skeptical. Don't get me wrong, I actually have some pretty fond memories of those hair bands and Husband has seen about every one in concert, so I figured he would enjoy it. I just didn't know what kind of show this was going to be, and it's certainly not my usual reportoire.Something like this has a pretty high potential for cheese factor, so I was wondering if I could consume enough cocktails to keep things interesting.

Skepticism unrendered! I have to say this show was pretty impressive. The band stays the same but the lead singers change, coming out in full dress and character of the band they are portraying. We experienced Van Halen, Kiss, Queen, Poison, Judas Priest, Alice Cooper, Twisted Sister, Guns N Roses, and Prince (an anomaly in the midst of all that hair). The costumes were pretty spot-on and entertaining...although the "camelball" on David Lee Roth was a little distracting, but I suppose that was pretty in character. :) The singers were actually pretty skilled vocally, and the band was amazing. There was a bass player, drummer, and lead guitarist who remained on stage the entire time. I have respect for anyone who is passionate about music, but I have the say the lead guitarist bugged me right off the bat. His hair looked more like soccer mom who stuck a finger in the light socket vs. a respectable lead guitarist rat's nest. But my biggest turnoff was his pants - namely, the fact that they were tight (of course), but also had sheer cut-outs. Two of which were square on his butt cheeks. All night long I just kept thinking of him as The Guy with the Butt Cut-Outs. Out of all of them he seemed to be trying the hardest, and that's saying a lot in the midst of all that production and makeup. He did a solo which, I admit, was musically impressive...but it was the rendition of the Star Spangled Banner made famous by Jimi Hendrix. Hello, leave Jimi alone. So that was really the only element of the show that I found annoying. There was also the notable omission of Def Leppard and Ozzy Osbourne, but I guess they can't do it all!

The people-watching, as you can imagine, was top-notch. The saving grace of going to a "nightclub" was we knew that given the show we would not likely be surrounded by a bunch of young 'uns in tight dresses. There were a few of those, but we were not the oldest people there by FAR. Lots of "mature" women in tight dresses. Reliving those glory years, I guess. Some of the dress choices were, um...interesting. One in a tight white dress who put Kim Kardashian to shame. Holy moly. There were a few permed mullets, a lot of air drumming/air guitar, one very bad toupee, and one incredibly impressive head of long, curly, well-coiffed hair on a middle-aged man. We laughed, we sang along, we drank a few cocktails, and we rang in the new year to a very convincing fake Freddie Mercury.

All in all, a pretty rad evening with my husband. Rock on.

2011-12-31T15:33:00.000-06:00

2011 - Our Year in Photos

Enjoy some of my favorite photos from this year. Happy New Year!

Free slideshow design created with Smilebox

2011-12-07T21:48:00.000-06:00

Our First Christmas Program

Lucy's school/daycare had its Christmas program tonight. We've been getting little snippets of songs over the past few weeks but had no idea we would be serenaded with such a diverese mix, among them Mele Kalikimaka and Feliz Navidad, as well as some old standbys like Jingle Bells and my favorite of the night, Away in a Manger:

You see Lucy had a dress twin. She noticed it in the middle of another song. I bought that dress before Halloween, thought I was doing well but no dice! Good thing this isn't like the prom. :)

All is all it was incredibly adorable, as expected, and Lucy was so proud and excited to have us there along with Grandpa and Auntie Marcey. Judging by the singing that has been going on since, I think the spring program will be quite interesting!

2011-12-02T21:29:00.000-06:00

Tunes on 2s - Stay (I Missed You), Lisa Loeb (1994)

You say
I only hear what I want to
And you say
I talk so all the time...so
Any I thought what I felt was simple
And I thought that I don't belong
But now that I am leaving
Now I know that I did something wrong 'cuz I missed you...
Yeah, I missed you.

Listen/watch here.

This was a one-hit wonder for Lisa Loeb for as far as I can remember. Judging by the lyrics I should be telling you some story of heartbreak or love gone wrong. Instead I'm going to tell you about a roadtrip.

I think it was the fall of 1995 that I rode to Cedar Falls with my cousin Chris to visit our mutual friend Josh, who was going to school there. I vaguely remember the visit itself, but the car ride home is etched in my mind. I think it was near a holiday or other break, so Josh rode back with us to Storm Lake.

What you will remember if you know this song is that it's done in a sweet voice, with the type of emotion that can only be wrought by a mid-1990s movie soundtrack involving confused 20-somethings who listen to alternative music and have names like LeLaina and Troy and are played by actors with names like Winona and Ethan (can anyone name that movie?) It could even be said that this song is decidedly" female" and could be assumed to appeal to such an audience.

Not so in my world. This song was played MULTIPLE times on that car trip, with two 20-something guys singing their little hearts out in their best falsettos. I laughed so hard, but I sang right along. We three had some good times and lots of funny stories among us, and it's been a long time since I've thought of those. When I heard this song on satellite radio a couple weeks ago it took me right back to the front seat of Chris' car, with Josh's head poked between the seats leading us in song.

Ah, those were the days.

2011-11-24T20:17:00.001-06:00

Thankful

2011-11-22T21:01:00.000-06:00

Tunes on 2s - Jesus Loves Me (1862)

Jesus loves me! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.

Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
Yes, Jesus loves me!
The Bible tells me so.

Jesus loves me! He who died
Heaven’s gate to open wide;
He will wash away my sin,
Let His little child come in.

Of course this is a song that many of us grew up with in Sunday School, or picked up somewhere along the way. I also associate this song with my daughter's baptism. But today, we entered the church for a different reason, with a large group of family and friends singing this song as we walked down the aisle to the front pews. Today we laid my mother-in-law to rest.

Betty was a woman full of life; known for her crotcheting and knitting, her Christmas cookies, her love of gardening and flowers, and her pride in her family. She had a special relationship with each of her three grandchildren. She loved holidays and always had lots of decorations around the house and in the yard, and she was famous for the Christmas stockings she crotcheted for each family member and many friends. The immediate family also has a stocking at her house, which she would fill with little individually wrapped gifts, like funny socks or even little fart machines that she would take great delight in watching us open.

As a the most junior member of this family (except for Lucy), I am left with a feeling of deep sadness that I didn't have more time to learn from her and spend time with her. I am grieved for my husband, and for Lucy and Brandon. Lucy loves her grandma but probably won't remember much about her. It will be our job to remind her.

Jesus Loves Me. A song so perfect in its simplicity, for those entering life and those leaving it; and for those of us left to navigate between. Betty, you will be greatly missed.

2011-11-05T08:35:00.000-06:00

Perhaps a Little Bit of History Repeating?

Husband ca. early 1970s

Lucy ca. 2011

2011-11-02T21:02:00.000-06:00

Tunes on 2's - Mr. Wendal, Arrested Development (1992)

I saw a man with no clothes, no money, no plate
Mr.Wendal, that's his name,
no one ever knew his name cause he's a no-one
Never thought twice about spending on a ol' bum,
until I had the chance to really get to know one
Mr.Wendal, yeah yeah yeah, Lord, Mr.Wendal

Listen/watch here.

Ah, Mr. Wendal. I was reminded of this songa few weeks ago. My brother called to tell me it had come on the radio while he was at home painting his livingroom. You might wonder why my brother was compelled to call me about a marginal early-90s rap song about the plight of the homeless. Would it make more sense if I told you I liked the song so much that I named a pet after it?

Probably not, but I did.

Mr. Wendal was a black, white, and brown guinea pig. I don't remember exactly why I wanted a guinea pig or the circumstances surrounding convincing my parents that I could get one (Mom or Dad may be able to enlighten on that). Perhaps after a long line of gerbils and hamsters I was ready for something more substantial (and we could never have a dog). I was 16 years old at the time, and Mr. Wendal lived in my room in an old aquarium on a bed of cedar chips and newspaper that never got changed often enough. He made a funny "wee wee wee" noise and pooped a lot. I thought he was the cutest.

So what happened to Mr. Wendal? When I went off to college he could not come with me. Not wanting to deal with the aforementioned pooping and changing of bedding, my mom donated him to a HeadStart classroom. I like thinking that Mr. Wendal brought joy to some little kids and hope he kicked the bucket peacefully after his years of service.

RIP, Mr. Wendal.

I couldn't find a picture of me with Mr. Wendal, so I thought I'd embarass my little brother instead.

It's a kick to see my old room though: posters of The Doors, The Little Mermaid, and Earth: One House, Many Rooms on the wall/door, curlers on the vanity, and my dad's 8-tracks under the pet table. If there was a sports bag on floor that might sum up me as a high schooler.

2011-11-01T20:37:00.000-06:00

Halloween Hangover

So yesterday was the big day…Lucy got all warmed up at school with a Halloween party including a magician and fully-costumed toddlers and preschoolers. By the time I got home at 6PM, she was bouncing off the walls and ready to put on her purple butterfly wings and skirt (yes, small girl butterflies have skirts). By the time our first (and only) batch of trick-or-treaters left the front door, she was ready to go trick-or-treating, and I have to say, I was excited too. This was the first year Lucy actually knew what was going on and could trick-or-treat at more houses than just Grandma’s or the one neighbor who turns their light on.

It went pretty well! I pulled her around in the wagon and she got in and out at each house. We live in a suburban neighborhood, no sidewalks, and pretty dark. I forgot to bring a flashlight - rookie mistake - but we were okay. Some houses had lights on, others did not. Quite a few had lights on but just sat a bowl outside, which was a little weird...but I guess if you're out with your own kids, or just don't want to keep getting up to answer the door, it's the way to go. We got to meet a few neighbors which was nice, and several people remarked about how there aren't very many kids who come around anymore. They were just eating up little Lucy in her gold antennae!

I had intended to just go around the block, but was distracted by a well-lit and festively decorated house which led me down a different street. I thought I was following the original plan (did I mention it was dark?) until I started thinking the houses didn't look very familiar. The people were nice though, minus a dummy who saw my two-year-old daughter walking up the driveway and put on a wolf mask to open the door. Luckily her freakout was limited to burying her head in my leg and standing there frozen for a minute until he took it off. I can appreciate getting into the Halloween spirit, but geez!

So we finished our beggaring of the previously unexplored street, we got to the cul-de-sac at the end and turned around, finding our way back to the original route. By then it was getting close to bedtime so we bypassed the remaining lights and headed home. She was awfully quiet so I stopped to check if she had fallen asleep, but she was wide awake - had just stuffed her mouth with a Snickers bar, bitten through the wrapper!

Our last trick-or-treat was to Daddy at home, then she sat down and examined her haul. One house gave a whole plastic baggie full of treats plus a bag of chips, and even gave a candy bag to the parents! Otherwise it was pretty standard fare, and her most prized treasure was a yellow rubber spider.

She loved dressing up and wanted to wear her costume to bed. I got her down to the pants and shirt (wings are hard to sleep in, after all) and she finally zonked out. Halloween had come to a close.

Or had it? Around 4AM, I heard cries and entered her room to find her sitting up in her bed, big tears running down her face, accompanied by sobs of "I wanna put my skirt back on!" So I put the sparkly skirt back on, and snuggled up next to my little butterfly.

Happy Halloween to you all!

2011-10-11T20:29:00.000-06:00

Livin' Leaves

Well, fall is officially here, and there's no shortage of leaves in our yard. Lucy and I raked up a big pile this past weekend and spent about an hour and a half just lounging around in them and enjoying the unseasonably warm October temps. She loved it, and so did I!

2011-10-02T18:54:00.000-06:00

Tunes on 2s
Who I Am - Jessica Andrews (2001)

I am Rosemary's granddaughter
The spitting image of my father
And when the day is done
My mama's still my biggest fan

Sometimes
I'm clueless and I'm clumsy
But I've got friends who love me
And they know where I stand

It's all a part of me...
That's who I am

Listen/watch here.

Several months ago a cousin of mine posted some lyrics to this song on Facebook, and it reminded me of how much I love it. For you see, this cousin of mine and I (and many others) are indeed Rosemary's granddaughters. I'm more a spitting image of my mother; and I consider my dad one of my biggest fans, so reverse that line and it still works. The clumsy lyric reminds me of a story my Grandma Mardie still likes to tell, about how when I was about Lucy's age I would stumble and say "I such a clutz!" And I have to say, I have some of the greatest friends a girl could ever ask for.

But certainly, it is being the granddaughter of Rosemary Overmohle that makes this song give me goosebumps every time. Losing her in the 2003 was a hard thing for many of us. I remember a couple of weeks after this song was re-introduced to me through that Facebook post, I was driving to work on a Sunday night after putting Lucy to bed, trying to get ahead on my workload. I really didn't want to go in, but felt I had to. I was feeling tired and just plain overwhelmed. Things were just a bit too much for me in that moment. I was listening to the country station on low, my mind racing and my emotions just under the surface. Somewhere along I-94 I heard the opening notes to this song. I turned it up and burst into stress-relieving tears. I am one of those people who believes that the people who have left us send us little gifts, and this was truly one. What were the odds, this song from 2001 coming on the radio at that moment?

I was going to be alright.

I am proud to be Rosemary's granddaughter.

Thanks Jessica Andrews, wherever you are.

There is one photo that I have of my Grandma Rosemary and I. Unfortunately, I have put it in such a safe place that I cannot find it. The best I can do is a photo of the photo, which I put on a sign on my back when I walked in the Breast Cancer 3-Day in her memory (2004).

2011-10-01T12:51:00.003-06:00

Goodbye, Summer

As the season changes I thought I’d provide a little Lucy update.
In early June she had her 2-year check-up and weighed 33.5 pounds and was 35.5 inches tall, both 97th percentile. Over the summer she seems to have stretched out a bit, and gotten a little thinner (except the belly, she still has that!) When people see her, the most often remarks are “she’s really tall!” and “what a great smile!” She still has those great dimples, and her smile lights up her whole face. Her hair is really blonde, but underneath you can definitely see some dirty blonde/light brown. It will be interesting to see what happens when all those sun-soaked blonde locks fade over the winter.

We’ve definitely seen some growth in her brainpower over the summer. One thing we have noticed in particular is her ability to recall/remember events. A few weeks after our vacation she randomly started talking about going to the Mississippi, feeding deer, and how funny the llama was. If you’re looking for something, she can usually tell you where she put it. She remembers names or words even if you’ve only mentioned it once (which makes watch what we say very carefully!) When we get to a certain intersection she knows which way to turn to go to Nathan’s house (her former daycare). She is also getting better at memorizing and can say a good portion of the alphabet, numbers 1-10 and all the words to “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” and has been singing some other songs since she’s been at her new school. She's a little shy at first, but once she's comfortable, she'll talk your ear off!

With all of this fun stuff comes some pretty nasty attitude at times. We work hard on getting her to use a “nice voice” and saying please, not just demanding things. She definitely does not like to be told NO, but has no problem saying it to others. She’ll go into fits of crying for no apparent reason (complete with throwing herself on the floor), which lately has been managed by timeouts in her room. It’s hard to stay mad at her for long because she can be such an incredible sweetheart with her free-will hugs and kisses, putting a hand on the side of your face, or saying “I love you.” She’s very cute, but she knows it , too. She definitely knows how to manipulate and if throwing a fit doesn’t work, she will do her best to negotiate. “Just one more, OK?”

Lucy still takes an afternoon nap, and at night she is actually very good - we still count our lucky stars that we have such a good sleeper. She goes to bed around 8PM and usually needs a book or two to be read, then she climbs into her bed with a menagerie of dolls, stuffed animals and blankets. She started using a toddler bed with a rail a couple of months ago, and very rarely does she climb out once she's in for the night. She is pretty good in the mornings but likes to putz, so getting out the door can be pretty frustrating.

We are working on potty-training, although probably haven’t pressed it as much as we could. With the daycare transition I didn’t want to push it too hard. Now that we seem to be settling in I think we’ll work on it a little more. She has peed in her potty many times and gets 2 M&Ms as a treat if she does. On some occasions she has also told us when she needs to go, and wakes up dry from some naps. A couple of mornings last week she woke up pretty dry and then had a really big pee in the potty. Progress!

Lucy is still a pretty good eater, and she LOVES her milk. I'd say we've taken a step back on vegetables, but she hasn't met a fruit she doesn't like. Her favorite things to play with are: dolls, stuffed animals, BOOKS, her kitchen and play food, her “bike,” and anything that makes music. Her TV is still pretty limited to a few minutes in the morning or just before bed, but sometimes on the weekends we lay a blanket and pillows on the floor and watch a "princess" movie. She also likes to putz around outside and "help" with whatever we're doing, and she's fearless on a playground.

So that's our little Lu. Spunky, sassy, and smiley!

2011-09-11T13:38:00.002-06:00

Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?

On September 11, 2001 I was 25 years old. I was living alone in a 1-bedroom apartment in a new city, newly single, about 8 months into a new career. I was taking on the world. I had no idea how that world was about to change.

That morning I was at home in my Linden Hills apartment. I planned to be late for work that day because I was going to vote in the primary, so I was home at a time I would have otherwise been in my car driving. I turned on the TV to catch some morning news, unaware that one plane had already hit the WTC. I was glued to the footage. A few moments later, I watched in horror as the second plane hit. I couldn't believe what I was seeing; that it was real. I went in to work that day, because I wasn't sure what else to do. I remember televisions being set up so we could stay updated on what was happening.

I had flown to Washington, D.C. a couple of weeks earlier to visit my long-distance boyfriend. We actually broke up on the trip - I had come to the painful realization that both of us were meant to be in different parts of the country, and it was futile to keep going. I recall sitting in the airport with him before I boarded my plane; this was one of the last times that anyone but passengers would be allowed past security. I remember being a bit frantic trying to reach him on September 11, because his brother worked at the Pentagon (found out the next day that everyone was OK).

There are a few events in life when you remember exactly where you were, what you were doing. I can count a few in my lifetime: the Challenger disaster; the day the first African-American President was elected; the evening the I-35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis. However, September 11, 2001 will be burned into my memory not only because of the terrible images and the pain it brought so many; but because of the ways all of our lives have changed and will never be the same. Ten years my wish is that we never forget, but that we have the strength to forgive, and the patience to get us there.

Where were you then, and where are you today?

Me in NYC (Ellis Island) April 2000.

In this photo: Michelle.

2011-09-10T21:02:00.000-06:00

Time For A Change

This week, Lucy started at a new daycare. We had been in an in-home daycare since she was 9 months old, but lately were just feeling like she needed something more...a little more structure, more learning opportunities and more social interaction. It was hard to say goodbye to her daycare provider Laura, but even she recognized that it was time for Lucy to move on. Plus, she lives in the neighborhood, so we'll still see her around!

Tuesday was Lucy's first day at a daycare/preschool in a nearby church. They have a toddler room and three preschool rooms, so we liked that there were opportunities to interact with older kids, too. We talked about "school" a lot and even got a new little backpack. She couldn't wait to get in the car the first day.

Lucy has done GREAT this week. I drop her off, and there were a couple of mornings she asked me to stay there and got a little upset, but by the time I got to the door she was over it. The very first day she got in a little scuffle over some crayons and got scratched in the face...but within moments she was fine and has been "best friends" with that little girl all week. We were a little worried at first that she might be a little shy and overwhelmed with so many kids around, but no worries were needed. This Friday when I picked her up the teacher told me she is one of the most popular kids in the room, she is friends with everybody, she has a good time and always has a smile. She loves the music class they have on Fridays, and has adapted well to the pace of a more structured schedule. This week at home she has been singing songs and talking about new things all the time (example in the video below - plus the sparkly skirt she insisted on wearing one day). We are thrilled with this choice to try something different, and know we have made the right one.

2011-09-07T19:47:00.005-06:00

Toddlers and Target

Tonight I was home from work a little earlier than usual, Daddy headed to softball, and around 6:15 Lucy and I headed to Target to grab a few things. The trip was a mixed bag, but in hindsight, fairly typical. Let me walk you through it:

I parked the car and got her out; she wanted to walk so I let her, saying she had to be a good girl and hold Mommy's hand in the parking lot. There was no hand-holding, and we stopped 3 times to inspect shiny things (garbage) on the ground.

No big deal. She is 2, after all. Patience, Mama.

We burst through the automatic doors, Lucy moving in a way that is not really walking, not really skipping, but somewhere in between. Swishing in the sparkly skirt she insisted on wearing today, and singing a song from her new daycare, "Lucy's here today. Lucy's here today. Yaaaayyyy, Lucy!!" which garnered smiles and a "that is SO adorable!" from fellow customers.

Yep, she is pretty adorable...

She played with the gift registry computers while I returned something, then we got a cart and continued on our way. She still wanted to walk and did OK until we got to the kids clothing section, where she started pulling toddler-sized plaid shirts off the racks. I patiently put them back, and she continued to walk while we picked out wipes and diaper cream. At this point, she became obsessed with the baby pacifiers and would not put them back on the shelf. In the cart she went, and she was not happy about it. She stopped crying but then started chewing on the side of the cart (eww), because I told her not to.

OK, patience getting a little thin now.

I bribed her by going through a few toy aisles. Heard a lot of "I touch this one!" and "This is Lucy's" but she was still OK and we made it through without anything in the cart, or any fits.

Score, crisis averted.

About this time, I started asking her to "talk in a quiet voice." My daughter talks a lot; (like, constantly) and there is something about being in a store that makes her almost yell while she's doing it. My requests did not matter, of course; and her yelling turned into protests when we grabbed a bag of M&Ms (her pee-in-the-potty treats) and I would not let her chew on the bag.

Temperature rising again...

Somehow her attention was re-directed to something else, and we picked up a few more things. We were in the garbage bag aisle when she started chewing on the M&M bag again, standing in the cart, and everything coming out of her mouth was a whine. I warned her several times that we would put the bag back if she didn't sit down and talk nice. It continued, so I took the bag and put it on the shelf and walked away. WATERWORKS. The kid screamed as if I had just beat her.

Must...stay...calm...

I told her when she stopped crying and sat down, we could go back and get the M&Ms. I turned the corner into the next aisle and it was like a volcano erupted. "MY M&Ms ARE OVER THERE!!" I reminded her again of the required actions. She sat down, but she continued to scream. I crouched down at got at her eye level. She quieted down. I counted to 10. She made it. We returned to the next aisle and retrieved the M&Ms.

Thank you God, for allowing me to remain calm. And for nobody else being in those aisles.

The rest of our shopping was fairly uneventful. She was pleasant, and put the items on the counter for the cashier. She rode in the cart and got in the car seat with no protest. She asked nicely for a cookie and I gave it to her. She said "thank you." I smiled.

She can be a very good girl.

As I was on the entrance ramp to the interstate, there was a calamity in the backseat. There was cookie on her chin, and this was a travesty. Tears and demands to wipe it off ensued. I could not wipe it off, as interstate driving preferably requires two hands. This was not acceptable.

Sigh.

So that was one hour. This parenting of toddlers, it's not for the weak of heart.

2011-09-02T20:48:00.006-06:00

The Return of Tunes on 2s!
Centerfield - John Fogerty (1985)

Hard to believe my last Tunes on 2s was April 2, 2009! So this one is in honor of the one who requested its comeback...

Got a beat-up glove, a homemade bat, and brand-new pair of shoes;
You know I think it’s time to give this game a ride.
Just to hit the ball and touch ’em all - a moment in the sun;
It’s gone and you can tell that one goodbye!

Oh, put me in, coach, I’m ready to play-today;
Put me in, coach, I’m ready to play-today;
Look at me, I can be centerfield.

Listen/watch here

Ahh, baseball. This song hands down, reminds me of my brother Josh. I seem to recall countless repeats of this on the little tape deck we had; the same tape deck that I used to record my favorite songs off Casey Cassem's American Top 40, hoping I hit the record button(s) at exactly the right moment between when he started talking and the first lyric was sung. If I remember right, I think we actually had an actual cassette tape of Centerfield, so the full experience was available. I have a distinct memory of listening to it in the little bedroom off to the left of the top of the stairs. The tape deck was sitting on the floor under the window by the door.

Josh was Mr. Baseball of our family. He was always on some kind of baseball team, all the way into his college years. His love certainly didn't spring from nothing - my dad is a longtime Baltimore Orioles fan, and we would make trips up to Minneapolis to see the Twins battle the orange and black in the Metrodome. Since the Mets won the World Series in 1986, Josh and I were fans. Another family trip to St. Louis involved a Mets game, and I remember also fitting in a Colorado Rockies game into a vacation in 1993 (their inaugural season).

"Centerfield" also recalls my own love and nostalgia for the game. There is just something about baseball - especially attending a game in person. I align myself more with the Twins these days, and even living in a city where Major League Baseball is so accessible, I still find myself excited every time I walk into a ballpark. Over the years I have added to my list of stadiums visited, including: Miller Park (Milwaukee Brewers, Mets games with Josh and Abbey), Camden Yards (Baltimore Orioles), Shea Stadium (New York Mets!), and of course, Target Field, the new home of the Minnesota Twins. I plan to visit more, and pass down that excitement to my daughter. I foresee her Uncle Josh participating in that, and with his own daughter!

It's said this Centerfield was inspired by Fogerty's childhood memories of baseball. Considering it went to #1 on the Billboard chart, I'd say it resonated with a lot of people in the same way. For me, it's mostly about my lip-syncing, practice-swinging little brother blasting it from the room at the top of the stairs.

2011-08-30T11:44:00.002-06:00

Caption Corner

This photo needs a caption...

2011-08-28T14:28:00.006-06:00

Cousins + Pancakes = Priceless

2011-08-20T21:48:00.000-06:00

Blogiversary #5

I missed it, but August 1st marked 5 years of blogging. 5 years. A lot has changed in that time.

So it's the annual roll call. Who reads this thing? Comments have been pretty scant, but I also know the blogs have been less frequent, and pretty much all about my kid. So tell me what you'd like to see more of, or less of. No promises...but hey, I'll know where you stand.

Cheers!

2011-08-17T20:22:00.003-06:00

Be Our Guest

Tonight we are serving wooden watermelon and imaginary tea and pancakes from our princess tent. Would you like to join us?

2011-08-06T23:40:00.005-06:00

Age Ain't Nothin' But a Number

Lastnight I was able to throw a little surprise party for Husband's 40th birthday. My guy is not easy to surprise...nor am I very good at fibbing, so this was a feat! He is also notorious for not being too jazzed about celebrating his birthday. For the longest time when I asked if he wanted to do something for this milestone, he said "no." But then a few weeks ago I asked again and he said "whatever." I considered this an open door! I called on our friend Bryan to help get it all together.

I told Husband that Lucy and I were taking him out to eat on Friday (his actual birthday was Thursday). I was a little worried when he got home that evening, because he said he had a massive headache and didn't feel well. He was a trooper and went out to dinner with us, and then I told him we had somewhere else to go. He didn't really know what was going on until I pulled into the party venue. We actually arrived before all but a few guests, which worked out fine since he's not a big party/surprise kind of guy in the first place. The surprise was in seeing who came through the door next. I was even able to find an old high school friend of his through Facebook, who actually showed up! I think that was a pleasant surprise and they had a good time talking throughout the night. It was a relatively small party, no more than about 20 people, and it was celebratory and relatively understated at the same time. Everything fell into place!

The poster is made of lottery tickets. (I got the idea here).

I think he won about $4 from the $20 or more I spent!Lucy helped blow out the candles!

There were several reasons I wanted to throw this party, but the biggest of all was that life has thrown a few curveballs lately, and Husband deserved to be celebrated and to have a little fun. I hope it is something he will always remember.

2011-08-02T20:16:00.001-06:00

For the Love of Fishing

There is something about sitting in a boat in the middle of a lake. There is something about dropping a line in, waiting...the quiet dashed occasionally by the cry of a loon or the sound of waves lapping gently at the shore. There is something about it that forces you to be still, to be in the moment. There's nowhere else you need to be. If you're lucky your solace is interrupted only by the excitement of a pull on the line, an exclamation of "I got one!," and the sound of reeling in a feisty, splashing fish.

I was introduced to fishing by Husband. I don't get out very often, but on our recent vacation I remembered how nice it was to sit out there with him and share that experience. It is something he really loves, and it shows. I know he also gets a kick out of sharing and growing an appreciation for fishing in others, like me and Brandon. On this trip he also got to introduce his passion to my dad, who caught his first fish (or at least the first one since he was a kid). What was special for me was that on this trip he got to pass down this tradition to our daughter. Lucy was so intrigued by the the "fershies" (fishies) - she touched them, pet them, pushed them back into the water, and even wanted to kiss them! It was so cool to see father and daughter share this new experience together, one looking at fishing with brand new eyes; the other looking at it with a fresh outlook. I had a front row seat for it all, and it was priceless. I hope that she continues to enjoy this special time with her daddy, and with the fershies.

2011-07-30T19:57:00.009-06:00

A Welcomed Rest

We just returned today from a week-long stay at Rainbow Resort near Waubun, MN (about and hour south and west of Bemidji). All I can say is, we had an amazing time! This is a smaller resort tucked in the midst of a heavily forested/wetland area with limited development, also located on the White Earth Reservation. The resort is right on Little Bemidji Lake, which is also sparsely developed. The view from our cabin looked something like this:

The weather was perfect all week, high 70s and only a little rain later one evening. We spent one day at Itasca State Park visiting the headwaters of the Mississippi River in the morning, and then Paul Bunyan's Animal Land in Bemidji in the afternoon, but otherwise spent all of our time at the resort. Husband spent each morning and evening on the lake fishing, sometimes joined by me or my dad (my parents joined us for most of the week). I think Lucy and I went swimming at the beach every day except the day we were out - she loved to play in the sand and even waded out up to her chest all by herself, and let me take her out deeper and learn about floating in her life jacket. We took boat rides with Daddy and in the pontoon that Grandma and Grandpa rented on one of the days. My dad kayaked just about every morning and Lucy got her first ride; I also took a kayak out for a spin one evening. In the afternoons we often napped or curled up with a book. In the evenings we always managed to entertain ourselves, even going to a concert at the lodge one night. In between we chased grasshoppers, watched bald eagles, laughed at chipmunks, and listened to the loons. It was delightful!

I couldn't have asked for a better vacation (the only thing wrong with it was that Brandon was not with us). Life moved at a slower pace, if only for a week, and it was nice. I feel like we were able to relax and really just be present and enjoy each others company. Lucy was exposed to many things she had never done or seen before, and the rest of us discovered some new things too.

At night I would lay in bed with Lucy and read a few books, sing a few songs to get her to sleep. She often requests John Denver songs (she is my kid, after all) and "Sunshine on My Shoulders" is a favorite. There is a line in that song that makes me smile just thinking about it:

If I had a day that I could give you
I'd give to you a day just like today...

Every day of this vacation, I could sing those words and mean them. This week was such a gift in a time when it was much needed. Memories were made that will not soon be forgotten.

2011-07-18T20:20:00.011-06:00

Summer, Summer, Summer...

"...turns me upside down..." (Magic, The Cars, 1984)

So here we are, past "mid" July, practically staring down the barrel of August…with the undeniable feeling that we are on the back slope of summer. I know this time of year I feel an urgency to cram all that I can into the remaining days and weeks.

As I was putting together this blog and lamenting the things we HAVEN'T done yet; I went through the photos and thought - hey, we've done plenty! And it occurred to me that the best summer moments are not always "planned," like these:

Finding a mud puddle, and getting washed with a garden hose.

Getting an unexpected shoulder ride.

Eating ice cream on the deck.

Feeding ducklings.

Bouncing and sliding!

Picking flowers at Grandma's house.

Once again, a valuable lesson comes through the eyes of a two-year-old.

2011-07-06T21:23:00.005-06:00

4th of July Fun

We had a nice mini-vacation including the 4th of July. Lucy and I went down on Thursday to spend some time with my mom's side of the family at Camp Okoboji. It was HOT and humid but we got in some good time at the lake, and Lucy got to play with her cousins. Husband joined us on Saturday, and we all headed to Storm Lake on Sunday. We enjoyed some early fireworks that night, and the parade on Monday morning. We were a little surprised that our usual parade-watching spot was in the full sun - the trees had recently been cut down! Husband headed back that day and Lucy and I stayed with Grandma and Grandpa until Tuesday. It was a nice little vacation, but we are all tired and a little crabby...getting off schedule with a toddler is not so fun!

The photo below is one of my favorites from the long weekend. It is taken in front of my grandpa and grandma's house. My dad's family gathered there after the parade, just like we always do...except this year Grandpa was not there. We all miss him and Grandma dearly, but I'm happy I have this photo, and to be able to tell Lucy one day about her great-grandparent's house and how she spent some time there on her first three 4th of July holidays.

Thank you to all the soldiers, past and present, who fight for our freedom. I appreciate what you do to make this country safe for me and my family.

2011-06-21T20:32:00.004-06:00

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

This past weekend we hosted Brandon's graduation party at our house. We set up in the garage and outside in the driveway. Unfortunately, it rained most of the afternoon...but we had fun anyway. The theme was "Take Me Out to the Ballgame." We had hot dogs, nachos, peanuts, Cracker Jacks, and baseball-shaped cookies.

It was a lot of work, but we had great help and Brandon really liked the party, so in my mind it was a hit. We even had some surprise visitors from my family - my Aunt Mary and part of her family, and my Uncle Bob and Aunt Beth! I was not expecting that. Thanks to everyone who helped make it a great day!

2011-06-13T20:47:00.010-06:00

Goodbye to Little Gym (For Now)

Lucy had her final class of Little Gym yesterday. After 20 weeks in class, I can definitely say this little lady has grown. The first few weeks, I was wondering what I got myself into. The beginning of class is always mat time, with about 18 kids and with at least one parent each. It was overwhelming even for me at times, and Lucy hated it. She wouldn't do anything and wanted to be carried. Sometimes she would cry. Once we were able to roam around the gym and play on the equipment at our leisure, she was fine, but those first 15 minutes were pretty rough.

Slowly she progressed out of it, and now she runs alongside me during mat time. She still likes to hold my hand most of the time, but towards the end of class would also run alone when teacher encouraged all the kids to run with her. She was also terrified of the Air Track (large inflatable bouncy thing) at first, but by the end of the session would sit on it while it was being blown up, and run around, bounce across it, and jump off herself. She has learned to jump in place, jump off things, walk on a beam (with Mom's help), climb all over things, walk like a bear, and grab a bar, hang, and jump down by herself. I'd say she's also about 85% of the way to doing a somersault herself. Her confidence has soared, and while she's still a little hesitant around other kids, her social skills have also improved. It was amazing to watch.

Yesterday at the end of class they had a little ceremony. Teacher Lauren called each of the kids up to the awards podium, gave them a medal, and said a few words about them. Lucy was called last, and ran up for her "necklace." Teacher said Lucy only liked to do things when she liked to do them, but when she did, she was great at it. She also made reference to a session-long joke we had, about how Lucy would never give Teacher a high five. She had only done it twice in 20 weeks. But when Teacher Lauren put up her hand in front of all those people and asked for a high five, Lucy did it with gusto! Daddy was there to take pictures, and we were so proud of our little girl. What a fun time! We hope to get her in another class in the fall. Until then, the summer is all ours!

Getting a ride on the parachute (something else she'd never do before).

Climbing!

Climb up, grab the bar, swing, and jump!

She really was happier than this...but this is a trademark Lucy face!
Daddy bought a treat when she was done!

Cheese!

2011-06-12T20:10:00.002-06:00

Mom's Weekend Away

I spent this weekend in Clear Lake, IA with five of my dearest and longest-known girlfriends. We wanted to get together for a 35th birthday celebration of sorts, a milestone which each of us has celebrated or will soon be celebrating. This trip has been on the books for almost a year, and it lived up to my expectations in every way.

We...
got pedicures
sat on the dock
mixed our own drinks
brainstormed 3-year-old birthday gifts
drank some fruity drinks on a bar patio
played cards
shared photos of our kids
shopped downtown
gave Facebook tutorials
drank some beer
took walks by the lake
ate a steak dinner
played online Price is Right
gazed at the stars
ate birthday cupcakes
slept in
showered without little hands banging on the door

Most of these things have a story attached to them; I can't even begin to tell you how much we laughed. There are also a few other things on the list that I can't tell you, because you know - what happens in Clear Lake, stays in Clear Lake...or possibly Mason City :) Most of the time was spent lounging around and chatting, with a drink typically in hand. I was reminded that every once in awhile it is okay to reconnect with old friends and reminisce...and to remember who I "used" to be, before I was a wife, mom, career woman..and how we have all so successfully transitioned into our chosen roles in life. I was also reminded what an outstanding group of friends I have, and how lucky I am to have these ladies in my life. They know me well, and although we don't see each other as often as we might like, when we do get together it feels like we were just together yesterday. Old memories are sweet, but new memories are even sweeter (and funnier, in some cases!) Love you, ladies!

2011-06-03T10:48:00.000-06:00

To My Husband

Five years ago today under a beautiful sky we said “I do,” surrounded by friends and family.

Life is ever-changing…and the past five years have been no exception, starting out in a duplex with bright green carpet. We bought a house, got a dog, Brandon moved in with us, Lucy was born, both of us changed jobs in one form or another. Grandparents have passed, power lines have fallen, windows have been replaced, a new driver is on the road, daycare has been an adventure, rugby games have been played and watched. Life is ever-changing…and it’s certainly not about us anymore. Just this week, our daughter turned two and a son graduated from high school. Tonight we will carve out a little time to celebrate each other.

Life is ever-changing…but there is no one I’d rather navigate through it all with than you.

You are my love, my partner, my friend. My rock in waves of change. Here’s to many, many more years side-by-side.

Love,
Jess

2011-06-02T22:27:00.002-06:00

We Have a Graduate!

Brandon graduated from high school tonight!

This was definitely an education for me. The Hopkins High School Class of 2011 was over 850 strong, with 29 countries of birth represented in the graduates. The ceremony was actually very efficient, with the first hour filled with the processional, speeches, and musical performances. The second hour was the presentation of diplomas, and the names were read one after another, with both sides of the stage going. I was expecting about an hour more [score!]

Brandon's mom and sisters were there, as well as Husband and I, Grandpa Lee, and Lucy. She made it through the entire thing with basically just her usual wiggles. I was poised the entire ceremony to get a photo of Brandon receiving his diploma, but of course that very moment was when Lucy decided to fall into my shoulder. So it was a blurry mess, but as I told Brandon, I'm sure someone will try to sell us a photo. :)

As I sat in Lindbergh Center (the gym) I couldn't help but think about how we will likely be sitting here again in 16 years, and wondering how different things will be then. What will the world look like when this little one is ready to graduate?

We'll cross that bridge when we get to it...we are very proud of Brandon - now it's on to the next step!

2011-05-30T07:35:00.001-06:00

Two Years Old

Dear Lucy,

Today you are two years old. It is amazing to me how fast these past couple of years have gone by. When I look at you or watch you accomplish something new, I can't believe how big you are getting. Lastnight you climbed up on the couch and arranged yourself with a pillow and your blanket, and your Daddy said "Lucy, you're getting to be such a big girl." It is bittersweet to see.

You're such a funny little person. You definitely like to have things your way, but you can also be about the sweetest little girl in the world. You will spontaneously give a hug or a kiss, or say, "I lub you." When we are frustrated you know just how to smile or make a goofy face to make us laugh. When you are mad or frustrated, the WHOLE WORLD KNOWS. You have a voice and you are not afraid to use it. While it is trying at times, sometimes I can't help but smile inside at your tenacity, or your purely dramatic self. You are my biggest challenge and my greatest joy, all wrapped into one.

Words are not a problem for you - you are very verbal, although it takes you awhile to warm up to new people or people you haven't seen in awhile. At these times you are uncharacteristically quiet. Other times, you are always talking, and recently have started asking lots of questions. We're not quite in the "why?" stage yet, but get a lot of "what's this, Mommy?" When I see the way you react to certain things, or especially your facial expressions, I see so much of myself in you. You like to be near your Mommy and a lot of the time you won't let anyone else have a chance to do something, demanding "Mommy do it." And yet, there are many days when you are certainly your Daddy's girl. I think you know just how to charm him, and he absolutely adores you. It makes my heart leap to see you together. I feel the same when I see your eyes light up when you see Brandon - "my brudder!"

Lucy, you make me so happy, and your Daddy and I cannot imagine our world without you in it. Happy Birthday, Punky.

Love,
Mama

2011-05-24T21:22:00.000-06:00

The Next Couple of Weeks...

The next couple of weeks have a lot in store for us.

On Memorial Day, our baby girl turns two years old. Three days later the big kid will graduate from high school. The next day, we will celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary.

I will have lots of pictures and updates I'm sure. But for now I am just trying to enjoy the moments as they come...and in the midst of the emotions and party planning, remembering to breathe.

The wheels of time turn so, so fast.

2011-05-17T21:31:00.006-06:00

Cousins

Every time Lucy gets together with her cousins, we try to get a picture, and it is never easy. As you can tell, this past weekend was no different.

What's so interesting over there?

Something must be very funny...

Hey, this one isn't bad!

But it didn't last long...

Monkey see, Monkey do!

They couldn't sit still, but what do we expect? We'll try again, maybe with our niece E in the mix next time!

2011-05-07T08:38:00.000-06:00

Rugby Under the Lights

Lastnight Brandon's rugby team played in the high school stadium, under the lights, for the first time ever. It was a gorgeous evening, and it was so exciting to see the boys take the field. They dominated their opponent (Burnsville), winning 17-3. Brandon had a crew there to watch him - Grandpa; Aunt M and Uncle H; his mom, sister and cousin; and me, Husband and Lucy. The little lady had a grand old time climbing all over the bleachers, and amazingly made it through the entire game (the cookies from Auntie helped, I think!) While I wasn't chasing her around, I was able to get a few photos.

2011-04-30T13:38:00.006-06:00

23 Months

Counting down to 2 years old!

This month, Lucy:

Pees on the potty! We’re not in full-on potty training, but nearly every time she sits on her potty chair, she goes, and is very proud of herself!
Likes to participate in conversations. If Husband and I are talking to each other, she can be heard saying “mmm-hmmm” or “yep” at random times.
Is still trying our patience by being demanding and whiney. But when she’s in a sweet mood, she is soooo sweet. I want to eat her up.
Has started hitting. I have a hard time with this. This is what most often warrants a timeout.
says "baseball" when it's on TV (which is a lot these days).
Has learned to jump, but does it pretty selectively, on her own terms. Like most things.
Counts a little better, but still misses a few… “one, two, free, sax, seven, eight, TEN!”
Has a pretty limited alphabet but when she sees letters she points and starts saying “A, B, C…” and says "Letter B" when she sees the letter B!
Is getting better at identifying colors (i.e. not everything is "blue" all the time).
Is really starting to remember things. The other day she ran up to me and said “Sunday.” When I looked confused she said, “Little Gym?” and gave me one of her trademark grins. I’ve talked to her about when it’s Sunday, we go to Little Gym…but we hadn’t talked about it for a couple of days. Came out of nowhere!

Overall, she can be very trying…but also incredibly delightful and charming. I’m pretty sure we are already in the terrible twos, but we’re also in a pretty terrific stage if you ask me. So bring on those Terrible and Terrific Twos!

2011-04-24T19:10:00.002-06:00

Happy Easter to All

2011-04-20T19:32:00.002-06:00

We All Have Our Demons

I was in the bathroom at work today, and as I stopped at the sink to wash my hands, I noticed the woman a couple sinks down feverishly soaping and wringing her hands under the running water. It actually made me wash my hands longer, because she was so into it and I didn’t want to seem like a slacker. I didn’t think too much of it really, because I’ve seen a few people before who really try to stick to the 2-minute hand washing rule.

What I did notice was when she stepped away from the sink to get a paper towel, she left the water running. As she stood there drying her hands I wondered if she just forgot to shut it off, but no – she came back over with a new, clean paper towel in her hand, using it to shut off the faucet. She didn’t want to touch the faucet with her clean hands.

She tossed this paper towel in the trash, got another paper towel, and used it to open the door handle. Apparently the faucet germs could not mingle with the door handle germs.

I can appreciate cleanliness, but I admit I address the little germs lurking everywhere by just trying not to think about them too much. I attempt to keep things clean, but also recognize that it’s nearly impossible to rid any given surface of all germs, and I’d really like to spend my life living vs. constantly cleaning. There is also a little thing called immunity building that needs to occur. Just my take.

Anyway, everyone has their issues, pet peeves, whatever you call them. This woman is a germophobe - whatever. What struck me is the fact that she ran water for 2 minutes to wash her hands, let the water run for another minute while drying her hands, and used at least 4 paper towels (that I could see) in the process.

As I was lamenting the cumulative use of natural resources this woman must generate over the course of a day, it also occurred to me what a process it must be for her just to get through a simple activity, and how positively exhausting that must be to sustain. Then I felt a little bad.

I hope you find peace, hand-washing lady.

2011-04-15T17:23:00.000-06:00

Rugby Season is Upon Us

This happened during practice! First game tonight.

2011-04-10T19:37:00.005-06:00

Feels Like Spring!

Today it was over 70 degrees! We had a fun time playing on the deck in the sunshine. It's so nice to be able to play outside. Lucy loves it.

You mean there's no sand in here?

Action shot, throwing the ball! (which Buddy popped last weekend)

Buddy, catch!

The best part about all that play and fresh air? Great naps!

2011-04-06T19:05:00.003-06:00

So I Always Wondered...

...what would happen if someone lost their wallet containing all forms of identification before needing to get on an airplane.

Unfortunately, now I know.

Today I woke up in Memphis, TN at 5:00AM. I got myself ready and about 5 minutes before I was to meet a colleague and go to the airport, I reached into my bag for my wallet. It was not there. It was also not in my coat pocket, on the floor, in the garbage can, shoved in the couch cushions, under the bed...

You get the idea.

Somewhere between the span of 10PM and 5AM, my wallet disappeared somewhere in the hotel. The last time I saw it was to retrieve my frequent flyer card for the desk clerk to print my boarding passes. My wallet was in my coat pocket during that time. Following that, I have no clue what happened. I can only surmise that perhaps it fell out of my pocket and a) ended up somewhere tricky where it has yet to be found, or b) someone took it. Retracing my steps and a check at the front desk yielded nothing.

So off I trucked to the airport to see what my chances were of getting on my flight with no ID and nothing else with my name on it but a business card. A call to my company's travel agent indicated that the decision was really up to TSA, and that a police report might help. The Memphis police were very courteous, but thought otherwise. I couldn't prove it was stolen, so there was no need for a report.

So anxiously, I approached the woman in the security line who would normally take a look at my ID and my boarding pass, and explained my situation. Naturally a supervisor was called. He was incredibly nice and the process was as simple as me writing down my name and address, and him calling some magical person on the phone. That person asked me my age, if I went by any other names, who else lived at my residence, and then my birth date (presumably to double-check my age answer). After that, I endured a thorough pat-down, search of my luggage, and swiping of my hands and bags to test for explosives. After that I had the green light to head home.

The relief was quickly followed by the next task - following up on all of my lost items. I was envisioning someone wreaking havoc with my bank card and credit cards. Husband helped me out by canceling our shared credit card, checking my bank account online, and texting my phone numbers for my other cards so I could make calls on my layover in Atlanta. Luckily, at that point, nothing was compromised.

So I'm out $50 in cash and will be spending some time over the next few days ordering replacement credit cards, insurance cards, membership cards, drivers license...and have learned a few lessons along the way. For one, I didn't need to be traveling with all that stuff. I should've lightened the wallet before I left. Second, I should keep one card and a little cash in a separate bag in case something like this happens. A copy of my driver's license would probably also be helpful. Third, keep better tabs on my damn wallet!!

All in all things could have been a lot worse, and I was so very lucky to be able to get on the plane. I had more trouble getting out of the parking ramp at the airport in Minneapolis, with no money and no ID! (they finally decided, after about 45 minutes, that I was who I said I was, and they could bill me). I am back home and while it's a huge PITA to track all of this stuff down, I'm so grateful for the kind people who helped me along the way.

2011-03-30T20:42:00.005-06:00

22 Months

I can hardly keep up with this girl anymore. I feel like she changes so much over the course of a month...

Lucy is:

talking consistently in sentences.
speaks with a lot more inflection and facial expression.
ends a lot of sentences with "okay?" i.e. "I help you, okay?"
singing a lot more - "Itsy Bitsy Spider" is a new favorite.
not letting Mommy read to her much anymore - she wants to do it herself.
loving the "Puff the Magic Dragon" book and CD that Daddy bought her.
not meeting a fruit she doesn't like. This month's new love - oranges.
having a bit of a fear of the dark and needs to sleep with the lamp on.
competitive. The best way to get her to do something is to say "I'm going to do it first!"
a good helper. She puts her dishes in the sink and likes to do little chores.
doing a lot more screaming lately, happy or sad.
not liking to be told "no" or be reprimanded in any way. Immediate waterworks. Timeouts have been initiated.
playing a game of throwing her pillow out of her crib and crying for "my pillow!" so I will come back in (took me a couple days to catch on).
creating land mines of babies and stuffed animals "sleeping" on her bedroom floor. "Shhh!"
giving great kisses, and reminding you a hug is also required if you forget.

2011-03-28T19:30:00.016-06:00

Lucy's First Haircut

I finally broke down and got Lucy's hair cut. I was holding out because I'm in love with the little pigtails and ponytails. But the reality is, "tails" and barrettes only last a short time with her sticky little fingers. I was getting tired of always seeing her hair in her beautiful eyes, and what the heck...hair grows back. So we went in this past Saturday to a place that specializes in haircuts for kids (i.e. charges $16.50+tip for a 10-minute haircut - ugh).

BEFORE - An example of the ragamuffin/rockstar look (and don't you love the bracelets?)
GETTING SITUATED - She didn't know what to think about it all. She wanted to hold her tiger and was having nothing to do with a cape. She held onto the sucker but wouldn't eat it!
DURING - I'll sit still, Mom, but I'm NOT going to be happy about it!
AFTER - So cute! (and finally eating the sucker) At first I was scared to do bangs, but we'll try one length again when she's more patient with keeping things in it.
First haircut success!

2011-03-27T19:13:00.003-06:00

March Madness

Ah, so it's been awhile...this month has been absolutely crazy. We've just been busy, running here and there, a visit from my parents, among other things. But the craziness is mostly centered around me working a lot of hours, including some travel to Memphis. When one of us travels it usually throws everyone a little out of whack, and this time the morning I returned, Lucy started throwing up. A stomach bug. I stayed home with her in the morning and Husband took the 2nd shift. She was fine in a day, but it threw my work schedule off in a very busy time, so I worked 8-4 on Friday (which is typically a 1/2 day) and then went back about 8:30PM-12:30AM. I wanted to get it over with and be able to relax and spend time with Lucy the rest of the weekend.

So I relaxed, and just after lunch on Saturday, it was my turn to get the bug. Husband was sick too, so we had to ship Lucy off to Auntie Candy's house and try to get some rest. We picked her up after lunch today and tried to get her to nap before going to Little Gym. She had a major meltdown after I woke her up and needless to say, we never made it. Her tummy was bothering her tonight, so here's hoping it passes and we wake up to a healthy girl tomorrow.

I have a few things to share with you all, including Lucy's first haircut, and of course her 22-month update. See you soon!

2011-03-07T21:55:00.005-06:00

Little Sponge

One morning last week, I put Lucy in her carseat, got in the driver's seat and prepared to start the car, only to hear:

"Got get juicy!"

It is not unusual for this little girl to request things randomly, like juice ("juicy"). She typically moves onto something else rather quickly. In this case, I absentmindedly said something like "OK, not right now honey," while continuing to organize my bags and get going.

But she was persistent.

"MOMMY. Got get juicy!" I looked back at her this time, and she was pointing out the window, with a look of "LADY, DO YOU NOT UNDERSTAND ME?!" on her face.

My brain scanned for a few seconds, and then it hit me.

Every morning, I grab a diet green tea from the shelf by the garage door. Just the day before, I had gotten in the driver's seat and then exclaimed, "Oops, I forgot something!" then proceeded to walk around the front of the car, grab the bottle, and get back in.

She was telling me I forgot to get my juice! (And she was right, I had done it again!)

I am amazed on a daily basis by how much this little lady is retaining. She is constantly listening and watching, and in recent weeks we've really realized it's all sinking in - not just repeating, but remembering and applying it to the current situation.

My little sponge.

2011-02-28T06:51:00.000-06:00

21 Months

I find myself starting to lose track of the months a little bit...the other day one of my sisters-in-law asked me, "what does Lucy want for her birthday?" A mere three months away, I can't believe it!

So we're taking care to soak it all in. Here's what she's been up to this month.

Lucy:

says "bless you" when hearing a sneeze, even to the dog.
is very good at saying "I love you" and we love hearing it!
is working on somersaults and jumping.
gets a little shy around people for a few minutes, then turns on the charm.
frequently asks for "tails" and actually leaves one, even two pigtails in!
still loves to stack and is happy to make you a "tower" out of anything from cans of tuna to slices of cheese.
can be heard exclaiming, "I like it!"
starts many a whiny sentence with "I need..." or "I want..." (which can get old fast).
had two ear infections this month (speaking of getting old fast!)
loves bubbles.
has started to drink a little juice aka "juicy.
is obsessed with pockets.
can identify extended family members and her daycare friends by name.
still asks to sit on the potty and still hasn't gone in it yet...but has figured out how to pull her own pants down.
loves to dress up and comes out of her room in some pretty interesting outfits (look for a blog on that topic very soon!)

2011-02-16T20:40:00.005-06:00

Sugar Cookies

Lucy and I made some cut-out cookies last weekend, in hopes of giving some to her little daycare friends for Valentine's Day. The cookies didn't turn out so well (crummy shapes because of sticky dough, a little extra browning in the oven), but the little one sure had fun!

2011-02-13T20:56:00.003-06:00

Lucy Says "I Love You"

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-06T12:46:00.004-06:00

Violet’s Great Toilet Adventure

Lucy has a favorite stuffed animal, which is a dog named Violet. She is programmed to say Lucy’s name and sing songs about her favorite food, color, and animal. Lucy is always in range of her blankey and Violet, and can often be heard shouting “Bi-let!” when she is out of sight. Bottom line, Violet is essential to the security of our 20-month-old, particularly at bedtime.

So a week or so ago I was getting Lucy ready for bed and she announces, “potty,” which means she wants to go sit on the toilet. She doesn’t do anything mind you, except sit there, perhaps grunt, and drop toilet paper in there and call it good. I am generally supportive of this practice and am poised to celebrate profusely if and when she actually manages a single drop of pee. Right now she doesn’t have her own potty chair, so I have to hold her on the big toilet so she doesn’t fall in.

Remember that last line - that’s important.

So we finish with the faux peeing, get clean PJs on, and then I let her play for a couple of minutes while I tend to something in our bedroom. Those couple of minutes go by and she runs in the bedroom with a big smile on her face, and throws her hands up in the air. She looks very proud of herself.

Her hands are wet.

Did I shut the bathroom door when we were done in there?

$#!+.

I started toward the door and she beat me to it, running down the hall and into the bathroom, where she proudly points to Violet, who is laying on the floor next to the toilet.

Also wet.

At which point I say, “Oh no, Lucy, VIOLET!!” which proceeds to freak her out, because now she has gone from being so proud of her peeing stuffed puppy, to thinking that something is wrong with her. She starts to cry.

I gave her calm assurances and hugs, and assessed the situation. I was afraid of total Violet saturation, but obviously Lucy had been holding her over the toilet (just like Mommy does for her), because only one of Violet’s paws and a little bit of her tail were wet. I proceeded to decontaminate the pooch to the best of my ability, then stripped Lucy down, soaped and hosed her off, and put on new PJs.

Of course, Violet was not excused from her nighttime duties just because she was wet. Oh, no. The three of us read books like always, and Violet went to bed with Lucy. Her lullaby-playing paw was activated, and all was right with the world again.

Somehow, though...I have a feeling this will not be the last of Violet's adventures. Or mine, for that matter. :)

2011-01-30T09:41:00.006-06:00

20 Months

Lucy:

can frequently be heard starting sentences with “I want…”
has finally started to eat cheese, and is crazy for apples lately.
loves her “nalk” [milk]. Ask anyone at Target who heard her protests when I refused to open the half-gallon right in the store.
always requests "kinkle" when you ask what song she wants to sing (Twinkle, Twinkle).
gets excited about eating pizza ("pisa! pisa!")
started taking baths in the big bathtub, and loves it!
for some reason calls most any monkey a “tommy.”
has discovered and LOVES Curious George ("Where's George? George comin'?")
learned how to give "uckles" (knuckles/fist bump).
still likes to sit on the potty from time to time, and still doesn’t do anything in it.
can be heard giving me instructions in the morning: “Mommy, jacket! Mitts! [mittens]”
wears size 2T, although sometimes the pants are still a bit long.
is much better at saying “thank you” and will address the person, i.e. "tee-too, Daddy."
can say the names of several colors, but usually answers “What color is this?” with “blue.”
is working on numbers and can count to 2, occasionally 3.
is learning what a circle is [“see-co”].
likes to cook in her kitchen and make apple pie or tea for everyone.
wants “tails” in her hair, and gets mad when I won’t keep putting them in after she immediately pulls them out.
gives THE BEST hugs and kisses!

2011-01-23T20:33:00.004-06:00

Lucy

A.K.A.
Punky
Punk-a-Dunk
Sweetie
Bubba
Miss
And most recently...Toots

Any way you spin it, the light of my life.

2011-01-11T20:38:00.001-06:00

The Little Gym

As we are full-force into the cold winter season, I have been looking for things to do with Lucy, to get us both out of the house and to help her burn off some of her abundant toddler energy. This past Sunday I took her to a trial class at a place called The Little Gym. This is a place where they have a variety of gymnastics and dance-type classes for kids.

We joined a class called “Beasts” for those ages 19 months to 2 ½ years. Lucy was obviously on the younger side of the class, but certainly not the smaller side! Before we started, the teacher warned me that the first time can be overwhelming, so if Lucy wanted to hang back and watch that would be OK.

As it turned out, this was not a problem. Lucy found herself in the middle of the circle more times than not, checking things out. She tried everything – the wheelbarrow, the forward roll, and some other exercises with my help. After circle time the kids were able to play freely on some of the mats and equipment in the room. Lucy was climbing and scrambling everywhere. Every once in awhile the teacher would stop the music and teach us a “skill” using a certain piece of equipment. She would usually have one of the children in the class help her to demonstrate. The second skill was on the uneven bars. She went through two kids and couldn’t get anyone to stand on the bottom bar and hang on to the top (with teacher holding their waist). But then there was my Lucy, who walked right up to the teacher and threw her arms up in the air. She stood on that bar without a glint of fear, until the teacher asked her to let go with one hand. Then she got a little spooked, so she got down. Everyone clapped for her and she was so proud! I was amazed she had even gotten up there, and so was the teacher. She said this particular class had been going for 17 weeks, and it usually takes until week 5 or 6 for a kid to even stand on the bar.

So I went ahead and signed us up for a class at The Little Gym. Every Sunday afternoon we will go and learn new skills and play with other kids and their parents. We start in 2 weeks!

2011-01-05T20:40:00.000-06:00

Iowa Christmas

Over New Year's weekend we were able to make it down to Iowa to celebrate Christmas and a big wedding anniversary for my parents. Unfortunately Josh and his family couldn't make it because of the weather on Saturday, so they were missed, but we had a good time and were able to visit some other family as well. Below are some of my favorite pics from the weekend.

To my parents, we wish you many more years of love and happiness. 35 years is amazing, and we should all be so lucky! So glad we were there to spend it with you!

2010-12-30T20:14:00.003-06:00

19 Months

This month has gone by so fast with all of the holiday activities. Here’s what Lucy has been up to.

She is:

talking, talking, talking! At her 18 month appointment in mid-December the doc asked me how many words she has. I had counted about 40. Apparently 10-15 is average, and she has added more since then…we have a gabber on our hands!
starting to put words together, as well. “More, please;” “Daddy go?” “My tee-tee” (blankey).
30 pounds and 32 ¾ inches long. Still a big girl!
fighting persistent red patches on her cheeks – doc says it’s dry skin, but every time we seem to clear it up, it comes right back.
loving her “babies” and stuffed animals, and has to have about 5 in bed with her or in the chair when we’re reading books.
starting to take an interest in the bathroom and has even requested to sit on the toilet a couple of times. (Right now we’re just sort of facilitating the interest and explaining things, but aren’t in a rush to break out the potty training just yet).
answering a lot of questions or requests with “NO.”
putting Mommy through some pretty difficult mornings lately…Miss Independent is getting harder to get out the door.
scolding the dog on a regular basis – my favorite is “Buddy, GO!” as she runs him over to the gate and points downstairs. That being said, she is not very nice to him sometimes…and we are trying to correct that.
enjoying all of her Christmas gifts, especially her bean bag, baby dolls, Little People Farm, tea set, and play food.
doing a lot of running up and down the hallways, and jumping into her bean bag.
a dancing machine. She's got quite the fancy footwork!
A busy, busy bee. The girl rarely slows down, but when she does, it is usually for food, sleep, or books!

As always, Lucy keeps us on our toes – whether it’s chasing her around from one toy to the next, or being careful about what we say in front of her. There is always something new to explore. It’s a really fun time right now, as she learns new words and phrases and is able to communicate better with us. She amazes me every day!

2010-12-27T21:13:00.009-06:00

Christmas Recap

We had a great Christmas at our house. Lucy really had no concept of what was going on, but she enjoyed opening gifts and talking about "Sata" (Santa). We had Husband's family over for the afternoon, so she got more presents and all kinds of attention. It was a blast. Here are some highlights:

A beanbag from Santa. I think she's got the hang of it, huh?!
A gas card for Brandon...driver's license is coming soon!
Grandma and Grandpa and the aunties and uncles showered both kids with lots of gifts. Lucy got some new babies and a little stroller to push them around in.
Of course, Lucy gave some love too! Here she is with her cousin, Miss H. Is this not the CUTEST?!
We travel to Iowa for another Christmas this weekend, and a special anniversary celebration for Grandma and Grandpa. Should be lots of fun!

2010-12-25T10:17:00.003-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-21T20:13:00.000-06:00

Hi, Nen-Nen!

2010-12-17T21:15:00.000-06:00

Just Call Her Bruiser

Punky's got a black eye! She took a spill at daycare and landed on a toy truck. It hit just below her eye. It didn't look too bad at first, but bruised up pretty well. That in combination with her red, chapped cheeks have her looking pretty rough.

I hear the truck is in worse shape, though. :)

2010-12-15T21:07:00.000-06:00

Stack 'Em Up

Stacking is one of Lucy's favorite pastimes. We don't have any proper blocks (holding out to see if Christmas brings any!) but she stacks cups, boxes, books...and even cans from the pantry. Go Lucy!

2010-12-06T20:50:00.000-06:00

Ladies Weekend

Last weekend I had the pleasure of being invited to a ladies weekend at Grandview Lodge in Nisswa, MN. It's only about 2 1/2 hours north of "The Cities," and yet felt like a step into another world. I can't remember another time I have been away for a whole weekend since Lucy was born.

What a beautiful place. It was like walking around in a snow globe. The main lodge is a historic building, and I was charmed from the moment I walked in. The guest cabins are amazing, and we got quite a deal through a special winter weekend package.

Oh, and did I mention there is a spa on the premises? Glacial Waters Spa is an Aveda spa, and I spent almost the whole day Saturday there. I had my first facial and after a few minutes of, "OK, I'm paying a lady to rub stuff on my face..." it was actually very relaxing - I even fell asleep for a little bit! My skin felt amazing afterward, too. It's too bad I can't afford all the products in that 8-step process to beautiful glowing skin! After the facial I was able to sit in the Relaxation Room and finish a book, and then headed into my 60-minute deep tissue massage. Just writing that now makes my back ache for another one! It's a crazy feeling getting up from the massage table...I call it a "massage hangover." Your hair is all messed up, you've got marks on your face from laying face down on the table, and you're groggy from being so relaxed. I was able to take a shower and relax for a bit more before heading back to the cabin to rejoin my group.

Another thing I was able to do on this weekend retreat was go out. Not that I never go out, but in this case I didn't have to drive myself anywhere, and I didn't have to worry about having to wake up at 6AM and put on my mommy hat. We drank beer out of pitchers at a townie bar and danced to a bunch of new music we didn't know, and cleared the floor of anyone but us when we requested tunes from the early '90s. We felt a little old at times but we also felt mighty awesome. It could've been the 3.2 beer but I'm sure it was more about some ladies cutting loose!

All in all this weekend reminded me that I'm a much better mom, wife, co-worker when I give myself a break. Even in packing for the weekend I realized I haven't bought myself any new clothes in a long time, and I don't have any good clothes that aren't for work or aren't for knocking around the house chasing around a toddler and doing laundry. And that reminded me that I work and I'm a mom, but there's also a little bit of me in between the two. That woman needs some time too.

I'll be heading back next year. :)

2010-11-30T20:35:00.006-06:00

18 Months

Today I reminded Lucy that she is 1.5 years old. She was brushing her teeth at the time (i.e. sucking on the toothbrush) and she paused, then said "Mommy!" and gave a big smile. What a generous girl, giving me a gift on her 1.5 year birthday!

This month, Lucy has been:

repeating and learning a ton of new words, and even stringing a couple together - "my daddy," "all done," "Buddy go?"
identifying body parts and appropriately pointing to eyes, nose, ears, hair, mouth, teeth, chin, cheeks, hands, feet, tushie
growing a head full of wild hair and pulling out pigtails and barrettes
finally getting the concept of thank you ("tee-too")
doing a lot of singing and dancing
learning to say her brother's name (Brandon) - "Nen-nen"
discovering blocks and spending extended periods of time stacking cups
wrapping her babies in blankets, putting them to bed and leaning over to say "hi baby!"
getting some new teeth - she has 12 and two eye teeth are currently coming in
discovering snow, and being most enthralled by eating it
climbing up on chairs and most furniture
running into/falling off furniture
giving good hugs and asking for a "kees"

All I can say is, Christmas is going to be a ton of fun!

2010-11-25T21:03:00.000-06:00

Thankful Thursdays

Today I am thankful for:

cooperative weather that allowed us to drive down to Iowa to visit my family
a warm and happy place for Brandon to spend the holiday even though he couldn't travel with us (he had to work on Friday)
big, boisterous extended families
grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins that are such a big part of our daughter's life
the legacy of love and laughter that my grandparents left behind

What are you thankful for today? Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-22T21:03:00.005-06:00

Colors

Tonight before bed Lucy and I were looking at a book that had several pictures in it with the words underneath. We were practicing identifying the different objects and saying the words. At the end was a page of colors.

As I pointed each one out, over and over, the only colors she would repeat were yellow and purple.

When I recounted this story to Husband, a little smile crossed his face.

Although the Vikings are not doing so well this year, I could tell by the look on his face that he was a very proud daddy.

2010-11-18T22:30:00.004-06:00

Thankful Thursdays

Today I am thankful for:

a new couch that is very accommodating to a tired body at the end of the day
socks for cold feet
my bed

It's been a long one folks...

2010-11-11T20:22:00.003-06:00

Thankful Thursdays

Today I am thankful for:

The workers downstairs again playing Guns and Roses' Patience, this time about 3:15pM when I really needed a pick-me-up
Kisses and hugs from a little girl after a long day
Warm November weather
Co-workers who care about more than the bottom line
The men and women in my family who have served and are serving in our Armed Forces

What are you thankful for today?

2010-11-09T22:30:00.001-06:00

Cousins - Part 2

Lucy got to spend some time with all of her cousins on the other side last weekend, as we celebrated Baby E's baptism. Unfortunately we didn't get a photo of all four of them together, but we got three...sort of! Those little bodies just can't be convinced to stay still!

2010-11-04T19:32:00.005-06:00

Thankful Thursdays

Lately I’ve been getting easily irked by little things…but also realizing that there are other little things that happen each day that make me happy. So in the spirit of the upcoming holiday, I’m going to take some time out this month to list out some of the little things I am thankful for, and in turn hope it helps to erase the gray cloud that’s been hovering above.

Today I am thankful:

for Brandon putting Lucy to bed lastnight when I was gone and Husband was not feeling well
for the random woman who told me my pant leg was stuck in my sock on the way into my office building this morning
for the workers on the floor below my office who cranked Guns N Roses “Patience” at about 11AM – it made me smile
for Husband making an excellent dinner AND doing the dishes that had piled up
that a spill in the driveway yesterday only resulted in a few scrapes that look worse than they really are:

What are you thankful for today?

2010-11-01T20:12:00.006-06:00

Happy Halloween!

Thanks Grandma Betty for taking this cute photo!

2010-10-30T19:40:00.003-06:00

17 Months

This month I have really been struck by how big our girl is getting. I was rocking her the other night and she just felt so long and big. Certainly not a baby anymore. Her little personality is emerging even more, too.

Lucy:

is currently fascinated with the broom and mop and is constantly pulling them out.
can appropriately point at Mommy, Daddy, Brandon, or Buddy (and some others)
is a little monkey-see, monkey-do. If you do it, she will mimic it.
repeats everything. The new words are stacking up!
can point out certain animals and characters in books - her favorite is still Elmo: “Ma-mo!”
is sporting new molars on the bottom. That was a fun week. Top ones are breaking through as well.
is a total pro at “please” which has morphed from “Eeeee?” into “Peeees?” “Thank you” is still a bit of a foreign concept.
likes to show off her tummy. It is an impressive specimen.
has learned the word "no." And sometimes it is the answer for everything.
can point out her nose, eyes, and belly button, and says “honk” for her nose and “beep” for her belly button.
likes to “find” other people’s belly buttons, which is not always welcomed!
still takes 2 naps a day, although on the weekends lately she sometimes drops the morning nap.
is getting pretty handy with a fork and spoon.

2010-10-24T09:57:00.006-06:00

Cousins

Lastnight we had our niece Miss H for an overnight stay. She was very patient and basically let Lucy follow her around, climb on her, and mimic her every move with little complaint. They even conspired and joined forces to climb on Brandon! It never ceases to amaze me that at ages 17, 8, and 1...they all get along so well.

2010-10-18T20:22:00.001-06:00

Morning Glory

Every weekday morning the little one and I get ready together, as Husband has to leave about 45 minutes ahead of when Lucy can be dropped off at daycare. So I dress her right away on the first diaper change, then we sit on the couch together for a few minutes while she eats breakfast and I check the weather. After that she plays on her own, either in our bedroom with me, or traveling between her room and our room, with me checking on her periodically. Around 7AM there is typically another diaper change. About 90% of the time there is a special delivery made just a few minutes before we need to head out the door. It is just part of her regular morning routine. For this reason, I sometimes let her run around in her shirt and just a diaper to start out with, as I know another change is coming.

So one day last week, I was in the bathroom adjacent to our room drying my hair. Lucy was coming in and out, as she usually does, toddling around in her t-shirt and diaper. I would greet her each time. About 30 seconds after the last greeting I felt a little tug on my leg, so I turned off the dryer and looked down.

There was my daughter, standing there with a naked poopy butt, and holding a poopy diaper in her hand.

This was a first.

It could have a been a lot worse, i.e. the poo was contained and she hadn’t sat on or rubbed up against anything (that I could find). So I lifted her up, suspending her at the appropriate length and angle so as to not contaminate my own clothing, and cleaned her up.

Just another day in the life.

2010-10-16T12:59:00.003-06:00

Autumn Sunshine

Like the rest of you in the Midwest, we have been enjoying this unseasonably warm fall season. We spend time outside and have been trying to squeeze the last out of some fun outdoor places, like the zoo. But the best place we like to "visit" is our own deck, where the hammock and the furniture are still out, and Lucy can run free. It's not every October that little girls can wear a dress and sandals!

2010-10-04T20:01:00.004-06:00

Still Reading

I'm on my third book since rekindling my love affair with reading. To continue the momentum I've also revamped my old book blog. Check it out...I'm off to read some more!

2010-09-30T23:01:00.000-06:00

16 Months

Lucy:

is a good little helper and can follow simple instructions...and is usually very proud of herself for doing so.
repeats a lot of what we say and is working on some new words – her new favorite is MINE! (“MY!”) and we are working on please, which comes out "Eeeeee?!" with a big smile.
likes to give hugs, kisses, and high-fives (and the kisses have gotten beyond head-butts and closer to the real thing). I think her favorite person to give all three is her daddy.
is weaned off the pacifier, which actually wasn’t too bad (but kudos to Husband for initiating the process and taking the first night).
rocks her babies and stuffed animals and covers them with a blanket.
sometimes lays in bed at night singing and talking to herself.
has a bunch of new teeth just waiting to pop through, which has caused some night waking and crankiness.
learned Old MacDonald from Grandma Betty, and sings “ee-i-ee-i…” (still working on the “o”)
has learned how to throw a good old fashioned toddler fit and there is a “tragedy” which seems to warrant one about once per day.
climbs furniture and whatever else might look like it’s off limits.
has taken to calling the dog “Dobby” (dah-bee). She just has the consonants turned around, but now sometimes I catch myself calling him that too!
loves her fleece monkey jammies with the monkey feet.
takes books and "reads" them aloud. The farm animal book is a hit at the moment (tests my animal sound skills – goat, anyone?)
starts out with “Mommy!” if ever left to cry after a tantrum, but when she realizes I’m not buying it, she switches to “Daddy!” STINKER.
definitely has a sense of humor and knows when to turn on the charm.
is learning how to blink/wink, which is quite funny.
really gets the waving thing and is also known to run up to us randomly and say “HI-ee!”
is very good at signing “more” and occasionally “all done” and “milk.” We're trying to use a few more.
is busy, busy, busy! She doesn’t sit still for long, and cuddle time is at a premium.

Although this month has definitely brought frustrations as my daughter starts to express her…independence…I often catch myself looking at her and thinking how lucky we are. However tired or frustrated I am, I still cannot resist that little toothy grin. And she knows it. :)

2010-09-27T19:58:00.004-06:00

What, Mom?

Nothing is safe around here. A mom can't even put a box of diapers in front of a cabinet without putting a basket of shoes at risk.

2010-09-19T19:21:00.006-06:00

Changing of Seasons

Labor Day came and went...we enjoyed a nice holiday weekend spent partly with my parents, who came up for a visit. They spent some time with my brother Josh and his family, and then Monday came back our way and we visited Minnehaha Falls. This is a favorite spot of ours because it's where Husband proposed. It's a beautiful little park, and the water was high, so the falls were in full force. As we enjoyed the park we commented on the cooler temperatures and how it felt that summer was making an exit and fall had started to sneak in.

As my parents left that Labor Day, my dad received a call that my grandpa was in the hospital. That call was the beginning of what was to be another change on life's grand scale. My Grandpa Leo moved on from this earth on Friday, September 10th. He passed quietly in the early morning; unassuming, quick...just the way he wanted to go, I suspect. He'd been having some troubles in recent months, but had been in relatively good health until entering the hospital that Labor Day.

It was very hard for me to believe at first, and I actually had a hard time getting in the car to make the drive to Iowa, because I knew when I got there it would be real. No more hugs, no more listening to he and my dad talk, no more mischievous grins...but the thing that kept getting to me was that nobody was coming back to live in that house. With his passing is the passing of a generation, the end of an era in this family's tree.

And yet with this sadness there is joy, because he is with my grandmother now, and he is in no more pain or discomfort. There is also a sense of comfort, because the generations march on, made obvious by all those who filled the church and called themselves children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren. I have written before about this big bustling family, and couldn't be prouder of all of them than I was as we bid Grandpa goodbye.

As the season changed, so has life...my heart still hurts but time marches on, and now we have another special angel to guide us.

4 Generations - Leo, Mike, Jason, Dylan

Me and Grandpa

Grandpa meets Lucy - July 4, 2009

2010-08-30T23:56:00.001-06:00

15 Months

15 months old, wow. We don’t have the 15-month appointment for a couple of weeks so I don’t have her stats, but rest assured she is still a big girl in both height and weight. She seems to be slowing down a bit though, at least in the weight gain (I think). As far as developmental skills, she going full speed ahead!

Lucy:

is starting recognize that certain things go in certain places – she likes to put laundry in the washer, items in the shopping cart, and cups in the sink
likes to help fold the laundry, and now even “shakes it out” before handing it to me to fold!
has a new favorite word in “Daddy” which comes out either “DAH-dee” or “Da-ee” and is so. stinkin’.cute.
points at him and smiles when you ask “where’s Daddy?”
holds a cell phone up to her ear
will sit down and “read” a book aloud to herself
has 8 teeth, and I suspect more may be coming soon
can pull herself up on the ottoman and get back down, and is now trying to tackle the couch
says puppy/Buddy (we’re not quite sure what it is), and is also known to bark, which I have to get on video sometime!
likes to sit on people - especially sitting on Brandon when he's on the floor. She even tries to sit on the dog (he is not amused)
is a total carnivore – she likes hamburger, deli turkey, chicken, turkey dogs, roast beef, tuna, and chicken nuggets
learned how to go down the stairs backwards
loves to carry bags and purses around the house
is getting a little better at using a spoon
will go get her blanket when asked, or will retrieve unasked if she’s tired
says ball (“bah”), Laura (“Wa-wa” or “Lo-la” - daycare provider) and the occasional “HI-ee!” (hi)
will do just about anything for an animal cracker
sometimes has a hard time letting go in the morning when getting dropped off at daycare, but has been known to give the cold shoulder when it’s time to leave daycare

In a nutshell, we’re having a ball with Lucy. She is really watching what we’re doing, and repeating a lot of words. She’s already the queen of this house, but soon enough she’ll be bossing us around too!

2010-08-30T19:24:00.000-06:00

First Day of Senior Year

Hard to believe, but it's here...

2010-08-29T19:20:00.003-06:00

I Finished!

Remember when I told you all I was going to start reading again, and began with an old favorite, Lonesome Dove? Well, I finished it! All 945 pages, and it was totally worth it. It had been long enough since I had last read it that I'd forgotten bits of the story, and Larry McMurtry's writing was as engrossing as ever.

Mostly though, I have learned that it is possible to carve a little time out for myself now and then, and still get things done. So I definitely plan to continue this habit of finishing books...it will make book club a little more productive for sure!

2010-08-19T20:32:00.003-06:00

"Lucy, Give Buddy a Kiss"

Careful what you ask for, Mama...

2010-08-17T20:38:00.003-06:00

The Duggars - Ready for More

Oh my.

I was in Target tonight and saw a People magazine screaming at me from the register -
"The Duggars - Ready for More."

The Duggars are a family with a reality TV show which chronicles the day-to-day life wrangling their NINETEEN (19) biological children. The kids range in age from early 20's (one is married with a child of his own) to the youngest, Josie, who was born last year.

Over the years I have seen a show or two here and there and found the family relatively charming and a little bit crazy (19 kids, hello). But last year the mom, Michelle suffered pre-eclampsia and delivered little Josie very early. This little girl struggled for her life for months. I couldn't even watch the show, it was just too much. I have to admit I was a little disgusted with these people. Enough was enough.

Without getting too much into religion and whatnot, I just have to say that I don't agree with all of this baby-making on many levels, the least of which is jeopardizing health. I am fully in support of a woman owning her body, and this particular woman has chosen to own hers by being constantly pregnant for over 20 years. Not a choice I would make, yet still, her body. So I respect that. But when it starts interfering with the health of the babies, I get irritated.

But let's just put that aside and assume these issues could have happened with any one of the 19 kids, or anyone else's kids for that matter. OK. How much attention do each of these kids actually get from their parents? Would the parents be able to financially support such a family without having a television show and receiving donations? In a world where so many children are cold and hungry, why not adopt?

I understand wanting to have your own children. I made that choice. I guess the Duggars have a choice too...but I hope it ends up being that 19 is enough.

Let me have it - how do you feel about it?

2010-08-02T10:37:00.000-06:00

"Helping" With the Laundry

Nevermind that pizza box under the chair...another hobby of hers is to raid the recycling.

2010-07-30T12:14:00.015-06:00

14 Months

Another month has passed, and Lucy changes every day! Here's what she's been up to this month.

Lucy:

has gotten three new teeth this month for a total of seven (one on the bottom is being a little stubborn in poking through)
is taking more interest in stuffed animals and "babies"
is starting to climb on anything she can get her leg up on
shows some reddish highlights in her hair again
loves to play outside, especially to pick up sticks
has a little summer color despite all the sunscreen...which hopefully means she has her mama's skin vs. daddy's
still speaks in a language only she can understand, with a few exceptions
finally figured out how to eat spaghetti noodles...and likes them
enjoys the pool, but spends more time getting in and out of it than sitting in it
likes to brush her teeth
throws her hands in the air and says "gah" when something is "all gone"
has learned how to turn around and back herself off of couches or chairs
throws a pretty good fit when she doesn't like something
thinks it's funny to climb up the stairs, even though she knows she's not supposed to with out a big person (since she hasn't figured out the "down" part yet)
is highly entertained by any sort of container, and loves to empty them and fill them up

2010-07-26T21:25:00.003-06:00

Ice Cream!

I love that last look..."Is it really all gone?"

2010-07-22T20:15:00.006-06:00

Happy 17th Birthday, Brandon!

Dear Brandon,

SEVENTEEN. Is this possible? For some reason this seems so much more grown up than 16. Maybe that suits you, because I think you've grown up quite a lot this past year.

This was your first year at Hopkins High School, and you seem to have done pretty well. You pulled some great grades the first part of the school year, so you were finally able to take Driver's Ed! You're getting some good time behind the wheel, and I think you're waiting patiently for the six months to pass so you can get your REAL license. You also played rugby this year, which was a surprise because we thought you'd go for lacrosse. But rugby seems to suit you, even though you may not look like the stereotypical rugby player. The height and the red hair certainly made it easy for us to find you on the field. It was so exciting to watch you in the state tournament...and to see Hopkins WIN!! You had a whole cheering section of family there to support you. Dad was so proud.

The grades suffered a bit toward the end of the year, but I think you know how important it is to regroup and tackle your senior year with a little more focus. SENIOR YEAR. I know, I can hardly believe it either. The football coach has been after you, so we'll see how that plays out in the fall. It's going to be a very good school year for you, I can feel it.

The thing I have enjoyed watching the most over the past year is your relationship with your sister. She is at the point now where she reaches up for people, and when she reaches up for you it melts my heart. You are very patient with her (even when she tries to steal your pillows). It's just wonderful to see the two of you together.

A couple of weeks ago you started working at Target, and you seem to like it. Although you tell some weird stories about your time as a cashier, I think you enjoy the interaction with people and of course, making a little cash. I imagine we'll be having a car conversation soon enough. :)

All in all it's been a good year, and it's hard to believe that one year from now you will be 18...but we won't think about that so much right now. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Love,
Jess

2010-07-14T21:16:00.003-06:00

Reuniting With an Old Friend

A couple of weeks ago I took a road trip, and beforehand I asked Husband to burn me a CD. I didn’t care what was on it, I wanted him to surprise me - the present day version of a mixed tape. A little something to break up the monotony of highway pavement between here and Okoboji, Iowa.

He did well, serving up some standby favorites and some tunes I hadn’t heard in a long while. One of these was a Garth Brooks ditty called Lonesome Dove, a song that tells a story about a town on the Texas border, and inspired by a book of the same name which happens to be one of my all-time favorites. The Wild West tugs at something in me, it always has…and damn, I love that book.

This led me to start thinking (another hazard of long road trips) about the last book I read cover to cover, and I am ashamed to say I’m not sure what it was. I haven’t done much reading lately, and I can tell you pretty much exactly when my somewhat voracious reading habit stopped. It was around May 2009.

Which some of you may recall, coincides with the birth of my daughter.

Before she was born I was reading Ines of My Soul, by Isabelle Allende. I know this because I am one of those nerds who keeps a spreadsheet of the books I read. I had not finished the book by the time the book club meeting came around in mid-May, but I continued and was determined to finish. However, as some of you know, when you’re toting around a bowling ball encased in a bag of water, it can make you pretty tired. This didn’t leave a lot of time for reading anyway, and then the bowling ball decided to come almost 2 weeks early. I never did finish that book.

I have completed a couple of books since, mostly to satisfy my book club obligations (which is a loose statement – I’ve showed up many a time to discuss a book I had not finished or had not even read – it’s more about the wine and the company, and the wine). Other books I have started but not finished, which over my lifetime has not happened very often until now. I remember feeling relieved when we recently chose a book of short stories for book club, because I knew I could get through at least one of them. A couple of books over the past year is pretty sad for someone who had typically read a couple of books each month. Most of my reading has usually been before bed, but I just can’t do it anymore. I am so tired by the time I crawl into bed that I can barely keep my eyes open and end up re-reading the same page over and over. It takes me a week or two just to get through a magazine, let alone a novel.

All this being said, I do miss my books. Even though I think I don’t have time, on occasion I do seem to find myself messing around on Facebook or watching a repeat episode of Real Housewives of New Jersey (that show drives me crazy, why do I watch it?). That time could certainly be spent reading a book.

So for my foray back into the life of a reader, I went to my bookshelf and chose an old friend. Hello, Lonesome Dove. I’m thinking you, me, the hammock, and extended daylight hours can get this reading train moving again.

Wish me luck.

2010-06-30T20:23:00.003-06:00

13 Months

Hard to believe Lucy is 13 months old already! I'm not going to do the monthly photos anymore, but I'll give little updates each month on what she's up to.

Lucy:

weighs 26 pounds and is 31.5 inches long - both 90th percentile.
toddles around like crazy! It only took her a couple of weeks to really get it down.
loves watermelon.
has two new front teeth up top, and two more working their way in.
is getting more hair and even some curls in the back.
recently had peanut butter and it's a hit.
knows what the brush is for and likes to "brush" her hair.
has gone swimming in her little pool a couple of times and seems to like it - so much that she sat in it with her regular clothes on one night!
babbles with a lot of inflection and expression.
startles us every once in awhile by repeating something we say, clear as day.
likes to dance, and seems particularly fond of blues music.
switched to whole milk with no problems and is now totally on cups - no bottles!
loves the Violet stuffed dog she got for her birthday.
had her one-year photo shoot and did GREAT!
is crazy about shoes - hers or anyone else's. She carries them around.
will hand things to people, but doesn't always let go.
loves to be the center of attention and totally hams it up!

2010-06-25T20:03:00.004-06:00

This is a First (and Hopefully the Last)

Tonight after dinner I was getting ready to bathe Lucy. I still do it in the kitchen sink, because I find that the tub is frankly a pain in the butt, so I'm prolonging it as long as possible. Plus, being somewhat confined is not a bad thing for a wiggly one-year-old.

I stripped her down right in the livingroom, diaper and all. Let me just tell you, this kid loves to be naked. It's like suddenly she's really, truly free...like that flowy dress she had on all afternoon was just too confining, and she's got to let loose. Does she run around the room? No.

She giggles.

It is the funniest thing, and tonight was no exception. She stood there in the corner, looking at me, giggling uncontrollably, waving her arms in the air and bouncing up and down. It was a riot, and we all got the giggles. She wouldn't come out from the corner behind the chair, so Husband and Brandon couldn't see her, only I could from my spot sitting on the floor. She would stop, be silent for a moment, look at me with that glint in her eye, then start giggling again.

This was repeated a few times. As I watched her I giggled and waited with anticipation for that peal of laughter after she "teased" me by staring me down. But then I saw it. In that moment of silence, there it was. It cannot be mistaken for anything else.

It was The Poop Face.

No sooner did I spring into action than she delivered the prize, laid the egg, whatever you want to call it. Right there on the carpet. I was gagging and giggling at the same time. Gaggling.

The episode was brief, and could have been a lot worse, but the final salt in the wound came in the form of Husband's "I told you so." Because you see, almost immediately after I had stripped her down moments before, she tooted (it's that whole letting loose thing I guess). Husband commented that pooping in the bath would be better than pooping on the carpet.

Touche.

2010-06-20T19:22:00.003-06:00

Happy Father's Day!

From two kids who don't have any of their dad's genes at all. Not a bit.

2010-06-12T09:57:00.006-06:00

Play Ball!

Thursday night Husband took me to a Twins game at the new ballpark, Target Field. This was an anniversary/birthday gift, and we had a fabulous time. Before the game we had dinner at one of our old favorites, The Loon, and I have to say it was nice to see Downtown hustling and bustling, and it was nice to be in the midst of it again too! Since we moved out to the 'burbs we don't get down there as much, and we both commented that we have to remember some of the great restaurants when we're thinking of places to go.

The Twins lost, but the game was great. The stadium is fabulous. Any place that holds over 40,000 people is obviously big, but yet it feels intimate. I guess it may be the way it's nestled into Downtown, but it really feels like a community space. The concourses are open so you always feel like a part of the game even when you're not in your seat, and in fact for several innings we were wandering around and catching up with our brother-in-law Troy, who was also at the game. It's got a great Minnesota feel, from the limestone exterior to the food offerings. Many local favorite restaurants are represented, and there is also a state fair booth where the the food is served on a stick or a little paper canoe. I heard someone say "I'm going to get a pretzel, some cheese curds, and a Polish." How much more Minnesota could you get, really?

I rounded out that picture by developing a pretty comfortable buzz on locally-brewed Grainbelt Premium. I laughed, and I cheered, and I had a great time. The best part though, was having a night out with my husband. We don't get to do that often enough. Thanks, babe - Michael Cuddyer has nothing on you! :)

2010-06-06T16:32:00.003-06:00

"Is My Hair Garbage or Organics?"

At our house, we recycle organics, so sometimes there is a question of what goes where. Brandon asked the title question today because of this:

That's right, a mohawk. The Hopkins rugby team played in the state championship today, and I guess the mohawk worked, because they WON! Although we did decide that the new hairdo makes Brandon more difficult to pick out on the field...we were getting used to seeing that full head of red hair!

2010-05-30T20:24:00.000-06:00

One Year

Dear Lucy,

Little one, you are one year old today, and I can hardly believe how quickly the time has passed. It seems like it wasn't that long ago that your daddy and I brought you home from the hospital.

The day you were born I knew my life would change, but I really had no clue how much, or how happy you would make me. Sometimes I don't get enough sleep, or I get stressed about work because I want to spend more time with you, but when you smile at me or say "mama" it pretty much takes it all away. You have been such a good baby from Day 1 - a good sleeper, a good eater, and just a happy little girl all around. I've learned not to be totally fooled by that little grin, though...when you want something or aren't happy with something, you throw your whole body into letting people know. :) You're a little daredevil and although it makes me frustrated sometimes, it's one of the things I love most about you right now. You are discovering yourself, your likes, your dislikes...and learning to express your feelings. I love to watch you grow.

The world is so wide open to you at the moment. You've found new ways of expressing yourself, and lately it's all about pointing and babbling. You seem to know exactly what you are saying. We have no clue, but we try to respond enthusiastically and encourage you to find your words. "Uh-oh" and "mama" are regulars, but every once in awhile you form a word that sounds awfully like the real thing. It won't be long before those babbles turn into words.

You took your first few steps all on your own two days before your first birthday. You don't seem too anxious to become totally independent, but soon enough you'll be chasing Buddy around the house. You're such a busy little thing, always moving. You explore everything, and if you find something interesting you will bang it against something else and likely stick it in your mouth. You want to know what everything looks like, sounds like, and how it tastes. The world is all yours, little one. You're just getting to be such a big girl...it's a little bittersweet for your mommy. It's hard to get you to sit still sometimes, but when you do I try to soak in all the cuddles while I can.

Lucy, you are the light of my life, and the apple of your daddy's eye. Your big brother loves to play with you and make you giggle. There are so many people around you who love you. The day you were born I loved you instantly, and I had no idea that my heart could hold so much more. Happy Birthday, Punky.

Love,
Mama

2010-05-29T21:51:00.000-06:00

Yep...She Likes Cake

Today we had Lucy's 1st Birthday party! She was a real trooper and enjoyed all of the attention from family and friends. Still working on the one year post, but these cake photos were so cute they warranted their own post!

(I'm still picking that black frosting out of her nose).

2010-05-24T20:13:00.006-06:00

Happy Birthday, Budders

Today is Buddy's adoption day birthday. We brought him home 2 years ago today...Husband tried to convince me it was 3 years ago, but good thing I have this blog to help me remember things!

Buddy has enjoyed having Brandon around this year, and goes nuts over the chance to rollerblade or run with him. But, of course, the biggest thing to rock Buddy's world this year was our little Lucy. Lots of people ask me how he does with her, and I have to say, he has been amazingly patient and tolerant. He quietly allows her to climb on him, wave her hands in his face, and even pull herself up by grabbing fistfuls of his hair. His defense mechanism is usually to lick her (which typically sends her into a fit of giggles) or if he really can't stand it, he just walks away. He generally likes to be around her and of course, he's always around to catch the food scraps she drops on the floor! Lucy adores him and lights up when he walks into the room. We really couldn't be happier about how well they get along.

Happy Birthday Buddy...I'm sure Lucy will share her birthday cake with you this weekend!

2010-05-19T20:23:00.007-06:00

Des Moines, Baby (ies)

Last weekend Lucy and I took a girls' trip to Des Moines to visit some friends. We met everyone for lunch and then hung out at Family H's house. It was a lot of fun! There were 9 kids between 5 families, and as always, it was cool to see all of the ages and stages. We had everything from 3 months to 6 years. With the 3-month old, a 7-month old, and Lucy at almost one year, we had a visual of just how much a kid changes in a year. It's really amazing to see it like that. Of course Lucy had a little trouble knowing what to do with the advances of an "older" man...17-month-old B was very interested, but Lucy wasn't having it.

The kids had a blast playing outside, and Lucy spent what seemed like forever just playing in the mulch and dirt. A little tomboy perhaps?

And here's my girl again, getting more grown up every day. I let her face forward for the first time in the car. I know it's a couple of weeks early, but she's almost 5 pounds over the weight minimum, and it just made sense. She did really well in the car yet again, and seemed to enjoy the ride more when she could see Mom and look out more windows. I'm so lucky she's a good little traveler. Can't wait for the next trip, thanks ladies and kiddos!

2010-05-11T19:20:00.004-06:00

A Word on the Census

I believe in the U.S. Census. I use census data frequently in my work, and I know it is important for allocation of funding for infrastructure and services, not to mention political representation. I have also found historical census data to be a very useful tool in doing family history research. I believe in the U.S. Census.

I remember filling out the form as I lay in bed one night, taking pride in completing my civic duty, and having my daughter be "counted" for the first time. I remember filling out the form, but apparently it didn't get in the mailbox. Looking at the pile of papers next to my bed, I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

This fact was brought to my attention by the appearance of a Census-taker on my doorstep a couple of Saturdays ago. After confirming who she was, I politely answered her questions with Lucy on my hip, and she seemed genuinely surprised that I was cooperative. I guess there are some out there who feel the government is collecting this information for deviant purposes. I can only imagine some of the attitude they get from others when they ring the doorbell.

Lastnight and this morning, in a span of about 12 hours, I received 3 calls from the Census office stating I was 1 out of 25 "lucky ones" that would be subject to a call to confirm the on-site visit. Two of the calls occurred within a 40-minute timeframe. The 3rd call also caught my voicemail, the message to which included a veiled yet perky threat that if I didn't call back someone would be coming to my house to conduct a follow-up interview.

I called back, and waited about 2 minutes listening to other calls being placed, and someone shuffling papers until they apparently stumbled upon my paperwork. He asked a few questions and I was done.

Point being, just mail the damn thing in. OR THEY WILL HUNT YOU DOWN.

2010-05-09T12:36:00.004-06:00

Mother's Day

It has been a great Mother's Day so far...it started out at 5:45AM with "Mama!" which actually made me smile lying there in bed, because she really does know who her mama is now (and because she went back to sleep until 6:15). My parents were here this weekend, so I got to spend a lot of time with my own mom, and after church this morning Husband and Brandon made us all a big brunch. This included my in-laws, so we had a nice celebration of moms.

I am so grateful to be a mom and a stepmom, and I really am lucky to have these kids in my life. Happy Mother's Day to you all!