Hawkeyes vs Gophers

There were all kinds of reasons to be excited about this game:

1) I LOVE college football and haven't been to a game for several years. Go Hawks!

2) Never been to TCF Bank Stadium.

3) Never been to a college game with Husband.

4) As Husband told me shortly after we sat down - he'd NEVER been to a college football game before.

5) The fun of marital rivalry.

6) We had AWESOME seats!

I love the feel of college game day. Crisp air, excitement, colors, rivalry, concessions, noise...we had such a blast. It was cold but not too much so, we had nice banter with our endzone-mates, and we even ran into my high school prom date at half time, thanks to the wonders of social media. The only unfortunate thing (for me) is that Iowa got absolutely trounced. I could have handled a good game, but 51-14? Ouch. The good news is that I think we'll do this again, and the Hawks are bound to do better. Right?

8 Years and Counting

You sent me flowers at work. We celebrated by eating at Ike's and walking around Gray's Bay on Lake Minnetonka...with Lucy. One of these days we'll get to go out by ourselves. :)

Lucy, Mom, and Dad Day

Husband and I spent the whole day today with Lucy, to celebrate her birthday. We had grand plans to take her to Build-A-Bear, but when we got to the mall that morning, we found out the store was closed! Boy, did I feel stupid...but it was seriously there a month ago when I was at the mall. I never expected it would have gone out of business. Luckily, we didn't tell her that's what we were doing, so she was none the wiser. She was happy with Husband's Jamba Juice, but we still owed her a gift, so it was off to Toys R Us.

We had a fun time looking around, and Lucy had to try out every car in the lot. Eventually she ended up choosing a toy with some much more manageable cars (and at a much more manageable price)...a racetrack and a box of special Matchbox cars!

After the toy store, we headed off to Chuck E. Cheese. This was our first trip there as a family, and I was a little skeptical, but we had a ball! You certainly don't go for the quality of the food, but Lucy was enthralled with all of the games and rides, and I have to say Husband and I enjoyed ourselves too. We even got to meet Mr. Cheese himself, although Lucy wasn't too sure about him. She was obsessed with the fact that he was silent, and kept asking "why is he alive, but he can't talk?"

After lunch we came home and picked some flowers, and then played with the new racetrack. Later we took a trip to Costco to buy items for the birthday party tomorrow. It was a wonderful family day!

Watch Out, Dorothy Hamill

I realize some of you may not get that reference if you were born after 1985.

So what I'm trying to say is, Lucy is learning to ice skate!

Her coach is her daddy, who skated a lot when he was younger and has been recently reunited with hockey skates (and sore arches). I've never ice skated myself, but I did have a lot of fun being out on the ice with them the last time they went out.

I hope this is something that continues. I wouldn't mind being a Hockey Mom. :)

Defending the Caveman

Lastnight Husband and I went out. This alone is a fairly big deal...rare is the day that we get (or take?) the opportunity for just the two of us to get out of the house. This was an even rarer deal in that we enjoyed dinner, drinks, and a show called "Defending the Caveman."

There's a little bit of backstory to this show...about 8 years ago, Husband (then Boyfriend) planned a night out for us and it included going to this show. I met him and some friends of ours for drinks, and let's just say the night didn't go as I thought it was going to. It went a little something like this:

Needless to say, we never did make that show - and tickets were never purchased in the first place! So, we always said if it came back to the Twin Cities, we would go. It was here in September of this year for a three-week stint, but we couldn't make the timing work, so we were a bit bummed. Then - a few weeks later, it came back by popular demand for another run! It all seemed to fall in place this time, and we very easily were able to put the evening together with two other couples, which made it all the more enjoyable.

"Defending the Caveman" is a show about men and women in relationships, and how differently we think about things. At it's heart it is a comedy, harkening back to the roles of men and women in caveperson time. Men are the "hunters" - they went out with a clear objective and purpose, with focus on one thing - bringing back food to the family. Women were "gatherers" - it was our job to collect information, take everything in and gather the food and supplies our family needed. Both serve the family, but in very different ways - and that translates to today's time.  Many things rang true. I could barely control myself when the actor started talking about the TV, and if a man sits down to watch something (a game, perhaps?) it is nearly impossible for him to focus on anything else - like answering a question from his wife. It was a funny show and it was fun to enjoy it with Husband and also our friends.

I think the humor and irony of that show might have been a bit wasted on that couple 8 years ago...what a ride it's been since. This was a perfect way to celebrate "us."

State Fair

This year Husband said early in the summer that he'd like to go to the State Fair.

What's that you say?

Ordinarily, my dearly betrothed has a significant disdain for anything involving large crowds. So I was surprised when he wanted to go to the fair, but completely up for it. Lucy and I had gone two years ago, when she was too little to remember it. This was precisely why Husband wanted to go; to see our girl enjoy herself.

A bonus was that Brandon also came with us, so it was a true family event. We went the Sunday before Labor Day, or the day before the fair ended. It turned out to be a lovely day, and not too crowded by State Fair standards (yet). We left early in the morning and arrived just before 8AM. We hit the high points and a few attractions - Little Farmhands, food, butterfly house, sky ride, Midway games.

This Little Farmhand was grumpy to start...but soon turned the frown upside down!

Mmm...Sweet Martha's Cookies.

Somebody was pretty jazzed about the SkyRide.

Brandon was the big winner at Midway games...although I beat him at Whack-A-Mole!

Best malts are from the Dairy Building.

My favorites were riding the SkyRide with Lucy (she was SO excited!) and seeing my husband light up when we hit the Midway...and Brandon  picking up on it, too. We were out by just a little past noon, right when it was really starting to get crowded and hot. All in all, a perfect day.

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.

Perhaps a Little Bit of History Repeating?

Husband ca. early 1970s

Lucy ca. 2011

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

Happy Father's Day!

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

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! :)

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!

Vegas, Baby

A few months ago my dear Husband suggested that we take a trip, just the two of us. He thought Vegas might be fun, so I said sure. We didn't have much of a plan for the trip. We just knew we wanted to see a show, go Downtown, and relax. We managed to accomplish all three. For a gambler and a non-gambler, I think we did pretty well. I don't mind wandering around by myself, which I did a couple of times while Hubs was bringing home the big bucks. His itch for gambling also played well to my need to catch up on sleep. If he was much of a partier, I would have been a sorry companion. I was in bed by 10PM most nights!

The trip was certainly not short on interesting experiences. Here are a few things I learned:

*Each cab ride is an adventure. Our very first cab ride, the driver was playing a game on his phone while at a stoplight. He didn't even attempt to hide it by turning the sound off. This little distraction also prevented him from noticing the po-po that pulled up right next to us, who proceeded to give him a nice warning buzz when he broke out of that light like a bat out of hell.

*Massages are wonderful. OK, I didn't learn this on the trip. But I remembered it. On Monday I was treated to an 80-minute massage in the hotel spa. It.was.FANTASTIC. Like many of the things that require me to take time for myself, I was talked into it by Husband. He's cool like that.

*Be careful what you ask for. I wanted to see a Cirque du Soleil show, and our concierge fsuggested Le Reve. Husband politely obliged. I don't know if it was the total lack of storyline or perhaps the fact that the men were wearing less than the women, but he was not a fan. Days later I'm in still awe of it, but not even sure if I really liked it. Researching it when we got home, I discovered it was not an official Cirque show at all; rather it was created by someone with Cirque experience. Not a big deal, but a bit disappointing...and now there's probably no way in hell I'll get Husband to go to a real Cirque show.

*People don't dress up for shows. Regarding the above "experience," I expected the price of the tickets sort of dictated that this was not Casual Friday. Not so. You could even order tubs of popcorn and 22 oz sodas from the concessionaire. It just seemed weird to me.

*Downtown Vegas is awesome. This was my first time Downtown, and I loved the feel of it. The casinos weren't as crowded, and Husband and I bellied up to the bar for video poker and video blackjack (respectively) to take advantage of the free bar service. Husband was on the downside of his winning streak, so we didn't stay long, but it may have been my favorite thing that we did.

*Slots can be fun. I'm the relative non-gambling half of this pairing, and I've never been a big fan of slots. Put your hard-earned money into a machine, and piss it away on total chance. Not my cup of tea. However, upon returning from Downtown, I was still feeling the mojo so I went down to play slots in our casino home (Harrahs). Pulling $90 out of "Penguin Paradise" on a $20 investment may have prompted a change of heart.

All in all, a good trip that allowed Husband and I to spend a little quality time together, get some sun, and get away from the daily grind. What do you think, could this be us in 20 years? :)

Staging a Blog-In

Husband says I should quit blogging until some of y'all start making some comments! I know several of you are reading, because I get comments in person. I won't stop blogging; contrary to popular belief I don't do it ALL for you [gasp!]. I do it for me, and moreso now for my little Lucy. This is a great way to capture her milestones. She's growing so fast that I don't want to lose all of those cute little things she does. So yeah...a lot of my blogs lately are about the Little Lady, but this blog is called Livin' Laabs, and that's what we're livin' these days!

So in the interest of generating some comments, I'll toss out a couple of questions that are non-Lucy related. Given the impending Thanksgiving holiday next week (NEXT WEEK?! As my dear cousin so aptly put it - "holy crap!"), I'm wondering two things:

1) What are you most thankful for?
AND
2) What are you most looking forward to over the Thanksgiving holiday?

I think we all know my answer to #1, though I would add to it that I am really thankful for an incredibly helpful and supportive husband. As for #2, I am most looking forward to spending time with my family over a 4-day weekend!

How about you?