Baby, It's Cold Outside!

Our area of the country is digging out today from one of the biggest blizzards in recent years. The snowblowers on our street have been running nonstop (I can still here a few out in the distance).

The blizzard practically buried parts of Harrison St. Three of our neighbors had snowdrifts to the middle of their garage doors that spread to the middle of their driveway. We were lucky only a very small drift in the middle of our driveway and parts of our sidewalk were buried. Our street however had an 8ft drift, nobody was going anywhere! Days like this is when I am very thankful for the snowblower!

Due to the blizzard we actually had a fun and not so productive day. Grant and I watched a movie (Elf), took a long nap, made homemade chicken noodle soup and decorated a gingerbread house. Mark watched football, washed and folded all of the laundry and organized the new computer. It was a simple day but a fun day! grant had a pajama day. He was so cute running around the house in his footie jammies! Days like these I will remember forever, the afternoons at the mall not so much.

Fun Game On a Snow Day

1. put your music on shuffle.
2. for each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. tag friends who might enjoy it, too.

If someone says, 'Is this OK?' you say...
'Not Ready to Make Nice' -Dixie Chicks

What would best describe your personality?
'All of the Words (Sea of Faces)' -Kutless

What do you like in a guy/girl?
'Anything But Mine' -Kenny Chesney

How do you feel today?
'Every Once in Awhile' -Black Hawk

What's your life's purpose?
'Pressure' -Billy Joel

What's you motto?
'If Everyone Cared' -Nickelback

What do your friends think of you?
'Don't Stop 'til You get Enough' -Michael Jackson

What do you think of very often?
'Who'll Stop the Rain' -CCR

What is 2+2?
'She Thinks My Tractors Sexy' -Kenny Chesney

What do you think of your best friend?
'Sloop John B' -Beach Boys

What do you think of the person you like?
'Let it Be' -The Beatles

What do your parents think of you?
'It's Officially Over' - NKOTB

What will you dance to at your wedding?
'We Fall Down' - Kutless

What will play at your funeral?
'Run It' -Chris Brown

What is your hobby/interest?
'Bawitdaba' -Kid Rock

What is your biggest secret?
'Gold Digger' - Kanye West Hey!

What do you think of your friends?
'Alcohol' -Brad Paisley

What is the worst thing that could happen?
'Bootylicious' -Destiny's Child

How will you die?
'Click, Click, Click' -NKOTB

What is the one thing you regret?
'Because You Loved Me' -Celine Dion

What makes you laugh?
'Cowboy' -Kid Rock

What makes you cry?
'Hey Jude' -The Beatles

Will you ever get married?
'Sexyback' - Justin Timberlake

What scares you most?
'Another Day in Paradise' - Phil Collins

Does anyone like you?
'Redneck Yacht Club' -Craig Morgan

If you could go back in time what would you change?
'Bridge Over Troubled Water' -Simon and Garfunkel

What hurts right now?
'2 In The Morning' -NKOTB

What will you post this as?
'Invisible' -Clay Aiken

Are You on Facebook?

A few months ago I joined the Facebook community. I was a little leery at first because I tried MySpace for a few weeks and than my page was deleted for reasons unknown to me. This really irritated me and the MySpace people also had no idea why my page was deleted. It's not like I am some creepy adult trying to lure teens to my page. So I joined the "grown up" world of Facebook.

I enjoy Facebook! Where else can you reconnect with old friends, share your day with your current friends, join groups, and take mindless quizzes? "Just make sure you don't get addicted" said Mark. Sure Mark, whatever!

Facebook is an amazing way to reconnect with your old classmates and not have to go to your reunion! You can catch up on their lives, who they married/dated and see current pictures without having to make the awful road trip with a 3 year old...woo hoo!

A few things I want to know about Facebook: Why do some people have 100+ friends? Who keeps challenging me to take an IQ test? Who has a crush on me (according to a ticker that comes across the screen)?

Let it snow!!!

You know how when you were a kid, you always used to be real anxious for that first snow? Maybe hoping that school would get canceled? Or that you could build that superwickedawesomecool fort that you'd been planning since, oh, last April?

We finally got some over the weekend.

And like I was many years ago, I was psyched to see it again.

Why, you might ask?

Because tonight I got to fire up my brand new snowblower. And let me tell you, it was pretty exciting. I think all the thing doesn't do is play MP3's, and I'm sure that will be forthcoming in the newer model.

After having to shovel all that !@# snow last year without a functioning snowblower, I (and my back) are very pleased to welcome the Toro Power Max 826 LE to our family. A great toy you hope you never have to use!

Waiting on the World to Change

Tomorrow is election day. I for one am tired of all the campaign ads on radio and television and can't wait for tomorrow to be over with. Mark and I both voted early so we are both eagerly awaiting the results.

One thing I have to ask of you when you fill out your ballots tomorrow is be informed of the issues and the candidates. When I say candidates I mean ALL of the candidates not just president and senate. Do you know who is running for judge in your district? How about Insurance Commissioner or State Treasurer? Do me a favor and don't vote for the people that you don't know anything about. Stay away from the decision that a lot of people do in that situation and look at the R, D, or I after the candidate's name. Just because that person is in your party doesn't mean they support the same issues you do. When I come across that situation especially if there is one candidate running I will not vote for that person or write in a name of my choosing.

Do you want the economy to change? Do you support measures 1-4? Do you want your basic human rights protected? I don't care who you vote for this election year just be informed of the ssues and the candidates and get out and vote to make your voice heard!

I am Grant's mommy and I approve this message.

I'm Going Home

"But these places and these faces are getting old...So I'm going home." --Daughtry

I sometimes hear people wishing that their jobs would allow them to travel more.
I guess I realized these last few days I'm not that guy.

I talked to a good friend of mine today that has to travel once in awhile for work as well. We both are in agreement- we'd just assume not if we can avoid it.

When I first started my career, I traveled all the time. A lot of car trips to a lot of small towns, where all you did (heck, all you could do) was work or go to the ar, and not always necessarily in that order. Later in my career, I used to spend about 4-6 weeks every fall flying back and forth from home to Denver and various other cities. When you're a tall guy, flying is not a lot of fun, unless you're willing to pay an arm and a leg. (Sometimes when I get off those flights it feels like I did anyway, but that's another story.)

Although I haven't had to travel much in recent years, I do occasionally have to go out of town for various things. Today as I write this, I'm sitting in the San Diego International Airport waiting for a flight to take me home. We had a busy weekend last weekend- traveling out of town for a wedding, then me flying on to San Diego with Carla & Grant staying at her sister's place and heading home later.

To pass the time, I'm looking at Carla's text messages that she's sent me the last few days- pictures of Grant at the mall, carving a pumpkin, etc.

And I realize how much I want to get home.

Home can't compare to this airport restaurant, where I'm watching, among other things:
-a guy who can't handle his liquor just after the noon hour, spilling his bloody mary onto the next table with a swing of his hand;
-a group of women bragging about their latest shopping purchases (looks a little spendy to me)
-the handicapped travel cart nearly knock over the little kid who got in the way at a bad time (appears everyone is OK)
-a young guy sprinting down the corridor (must be late for his flight)

And why is travel so great again?

But then the clincher. I see a little boy about my son's age walking by with what I think is his Mom, his teddy bear firmly clutched under his arm and his little bag in tow (it's shaped like a lion's head).

I wonder if he's going to meet Daddy soon, either at this airport or another one. I sure hope he and Teddy get home safe and sound.

And that's the one thing good about traveling, everyone.

Coming home. You don't appreciate it until you leave it for awhile, even a short while.

I can't tell you how much I miss Carla and Grant when I'm gone. I can't wait to see them later tonight when I get home. I can't wait until I hear "DADDY!!!" for the first time in three days.

Daddy'll be home soon, little buddy. Time to get on the big plane.

Litter Bug

This post is for the people responsible for leaving plastic bottles, cans and various candy wrappers in the soccer nets at our neighborhood park. I will make this short since I am a little perturb about the situation. Pick up your d**n garbage! A three old has picked up your garbage twice already. There I feel much better! Thanks for letting me vent.

Small Town Saturday Night!

Last Saturday we made the pilgrimage to the town of Rugby (population 2,939). Why Rugby of all places? It was my oldest brother Richard's 50th birthday. I was excited to go because I haven't seen Richard in close to six years (him and his wife Debbie live in Washington state). It was actually a surprise birthday. He had a hunch that something was going on. Why? Because everyone had plans that night, even my parents.

We all met at Jester's Lounge (the high-class town watering hole) at 7:30 to set up the food and to make sure all was in order. Since my cousin is one of the owners of the bar, Grant was allowed in for a about an hour. He had to be in one area of the bar and stay there. Grandpa bought him his first "drink", a 7-Up and munched on some chips. Great parenting, I know! My parents owned and operated a bar while I was growing up and I turned out OK (no jokes, Mark!) So it didn't bother me as much as Mark that Grant was in there for awhile. I think Mark was feeling like a pretty lousy father at that point! Grant went back to the hotel were Grandpa and Grandma babysat and from what I was told they had some interesting conversations about baseball. Grant asked us later if we were "going to the bar", which was interesting....he must have enjoyed it! (I doubt Mark will be real proud to share this story with his co-workers!)

Richard showed up around 8:15 and had the biggest smile on his face! Richard knew something was up when he walked in and saw Nicky. It was great having my siblings together and we actually had a lot of fun that night! The bar had a DJ that night. I haven't danced that much in a long time. We enjoyed ourselves quite a bit. Richard's friends were a good group of guys and he really enjoyed seeing everyone again.

Some "hottie" guys were checking out Nicky and I. It was probably because my sisters and nieces and I looked like we were from "the big city". Apparently jeans and nice tops set you apart from the "locals". Mullets (men AND women, disturbingly) and t-shirts with creative sayings like a Gatorade logo shirt that says "Get Lade" are common fashion among the local women. (I think Mark was slightly afraid of them.)

Not exactly a lot of "yeah babies" around there, y'know? Mark said he felt like he was in a time warp most of the night with some of the quality music being played. You know the kind- a lot of AC/DC, Metallica, etc.

The party ended about 1:30AM. But the night isn't over until there is a good old-fashioned bar fight (because as Elton John sang, Saturday night's the night for fighting, right?) Two enlightened gentlemen who I'm guessing had slightly in excess of the legal limit of alcohol got into a fight and took it out into the street. It was hilarious to watch because they were drunk, saying stupid stuff to each other like "You wanna throw fists". The two geniuses ended up rolling around on the street. Most of the town motorcycle guys were just laughing. I'm sure if there had been a real fracas breaking out those guys would pretty much destroy any one of the young punks around that area. It wouldn't be much of a contest. Those guys had tattoos older than most of those younger guys.

As the song says, they probably howled at the moon and shot out the lights after the bar closed down. Just another small town Saturday night in the upper Midwest!

Wii love Guitar Hero!!!

Our latest family quest has been to find a Nintendo Wii. If you've been on a similar quest, you know that finding one is as likely as locating a Tickle Me Elmo or Cabbage Patch Kid from days gone by. The kicker is, when they have them in stock, they last approximately nine seconds before they are sold out, and no one knows when they are coming in again.

We first got hooked on the Wii when one of my staff members brought his over to our house for an evening get together, and accidentally forgot it. (If you were trying to gain favor with your boss, that's a great way to do it!) Naturally, we hooked it up. It's truly a revolution in gaming. The wireless controls, the fun games, the all-ages appeal- it all adds up to a real enjoyable experience for the family and it's great for parties too.

Naturally, since they are about as scarce as can be, we've let people know we are looking for one and to buy it for us if they see one (yes, I did tell them we'd pay them back for it!) So of course, my father innocently walks into Best Buy last Sunday, sees six Wiis on display and promptly buys one for himself.

This, of course, after I told him to get one for us if he sees one. But he forgot. So my parents now have a Wii and we don't. Proof that there is no justice. (Of course, I got to go over to their house and show them how to hook it up. I am the good son, after all.)

But I digress. This weekend, the same staff member I mentioned earlier went out of town for the weekend. So we borrowed his Wii again and decided to try some Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, complete with rented fake plastic Gibson guitars. While I suspect most "real" guitar players (including my old man) don't think much of it, Carla and I enjoyed playing (sort of) some Foghat, Joan Jett, Heart, etc. I joked to my dad that if they would have had this when I was in school, I may have taken up guitar instead of piano.

It's amazing from thinking about when I was a 6-year old kid and getting my first Colecovision and we thought that was the coolest thing ever made. Remember those old Atari machines with the crappy graphics & lousy sound? Wow, how far we've come in 25 years. Heck, even Super Mario Bros. seems so out of date. And the old arcade is a thing of the past.

For my part, as a video gamer of the past, this is one of the reasons I love the fact Grant is getting a little older- now I've got an excuse to get Madden every year once we get our Wii!! (Don't tell Carla--it'll be our little secret.)

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna go pretend to be Aerosmith.

(Note- we did get a Wii a few days later! YESSSSSSSS!!!!!)

Gingi What?

Some of you may be wondering what I am doing with my 5 hours of free time a week while Grant is in preschool. I have managed to get most of my house cleaned in about an hour, had our house appraised, grocery shopped and had a gingivectomy Exciting times, I know.

I was a little nervous about the gingivectomy, proably becasue I was reliving in my mind the wisdom teeth surgery and bone grafting just over a year ago. My dentist has been pushing me to get this done for a few months. She thought the tissue would move and settle once my wisom teeth were removed...wrong. It took her 3 years to convice me to have my wisdom teeth removed and only a few months to have tissue removed so I think she is making progress in earning my trust in her.

The gingivectomy was quite painless unless you count the five shots of naovacaine. There was also very little bleeding (thank-you lasers!). I was able to lay there and watch my ladies on The View in somewhat peaceful surroundings and it was over with in less than 30 minutes!

Goodbye Summer!

Summer is almost gone, the temperature is dropping fast! No morning frost, but with morning temps in the 40's it feels like there should be frost on the ground. I hear the roaring of the school buses and see the lanes full of mini-vans on the road. The best part of fall? The kids are back in school! The neighborhood is quiet. The mall is also quiet and back in the hands of mall walkers and stay-at-home moms.

I will miss the walks with Grant and him holding my hand as we walk down the street. This is the time when the curious little boy likes to point out new objects, walking through yards and having conversations with mom. I will also miss setting up the pool and "lounging" by it as Grant plays and waters the flowers. These are memories that I will play over and over as the snow falls.

As we enter the fall season, a new stage of life is upon us. Grant starts pre-school tomorrow! I can't believe it! I am so excited for him and a little sad that a chapter in our lives is ending.

Good Deed of the Day

As some of you may know we like to donate stuff to Freecycle in our local town. We usually donate items that we can't get a tax deduction for and it also helps people who need items at the same time.

We have a 1970's Ariens snowblower that we have been wanting to get rid of. It works OK but dosen't have enough horse power to take on the large amount of snow we get in our neighborhood. Since Mark has vowed to purchase the best snowblower money can buy this fall, we posted the tank I mean snowblower on Freecycle and received quite a few responses!

The responses were out of control. The first night we received numerous calls into the next day. I deceided to go with a very nice man who refurbishes lawn equipment and gives it to people in need. The snowblower is gone to someone who will need and appreciate the fine piece of equipment. Now Mark can go snowblower shopping til' his heart is content.

Busy, Busy, Busy!

We have be terribly busy these last few weeks. Here is an update of what we have been up to.

The Bank celebrated it's 85th anniversary with a party, picnic, games, bouncy things, baseball game and fireworks all in one day. Grant had a great time, with unlimited ice cream dots who wouldn't! He was a little nervous about the bouncy castle and misc so he didn't take part in that, even though he tried. He liked running around on the turf and pretending he was a football player much better. It was fun matching faces to names and makes this new transition in our lives much more easier. We ran into a few people who said "it's not just a bank, it's a family". I am starting to see and agree with them.

That same weekend we took Grant to his first concert! Sesame Street Live of course. He seemed to enjoys it. But we don't know if he thought he was watching a movie or "live" characters on stage. I also have to add that the merchandise was a true money trap! Grant didn't ask for anything other than popcorn and was happy with that. The Elmo balloons were $8.00! Mark being the true banker that he is said "and you wonder why America is in financial trouble". We don't want to get him started on overpriced concert paraphernalia just yet!

The rest of this month have been filled with swimming, playgrounds, walks, getting Grant ready for pre-school, a few MOMS Club events, redecorating a little, colds and food poisoning. Hope you all enjoy the rest of your summer!

Converstaions With Grant

Grant has turned into quite the little chatter box this year. The discussions are usually about golf or more likely Tiger Woods, daddy's bank, going potty, what he wants for a snack or just general pre-K chit chat.

These are the top four conversations this week.

Grant sitting in his rocking chair or as he call it his "thinking chair" decides we need to make plans for this weekend.
Grant: So what are you doing this weekend Mommy?
Me: We have the bank party all day on Saturday & a baseball game that night. On Sunday we are going to see Elmo. Doesn't that sound fun?
Grant: Sure mommy, sure

Apparently if your name is in the bank advertising info, if you have somewhat of a public job or you go to enough charity events your name gets put on a list. Since Mark is all of the above we get numerous charities soliciting a few days a week. I normally just ask them to send me the information or I just don't answer the phone (caller ID is such a great invention!). Grant is now answering the phone which means I can no longer hide!
Grant: Hello
Charity person: Can I talk to your mommy or daddy?
Grant: Bye
This person actually called back a few seconds later.

Today trying to get Grant to put on his underwear.
Me: Please put your underwear on.
Grant: I don't want to.
Me: I bet Tiger Woods wears underwear.
Grant: No he wears pants.

As you know Grant is in the process of potty training and doing very well except for going poop. The other day we talked about everyone he knows who uses the potty.
Grant: Jack uses the potty. Mommy and daddy, Grandpa and Grandma. Andrew also uses the potty, he's a big boy!
Me: Yes Grant they all use the potty.

Love Thy Neighbor?

We have a problem with the neighbor to the south of us. Since we are on a corner lot it is the only neighbor. What is the problem? The "Smiths" like to leave things on their driveway for weeks or months at a time. What type of things? A trailer with stuff that didn't move for a few weeks, dirt on their driveway that was there for so long it grew weeds, last winter and into the early spring it was sheetrock and now they have a pile of rocks.

My question is this? Should we put up a privacy fence between our lot and theirs? I don't want to be snobby but I just can't stand to look at all their miscellaneous garbage all year long. It brings the look of our and other neighboring properties down. It would also work as a weed barrier because they don't mow to often and their weeds spread into our lawn that we are trying to create.

What would you do?

Farve

Brett Farve, please please retire from football. I am so sick of hearing about him and if he will or will not play for the Vikings. Who cares! Get a life people it's only football. In the real world when someone retires from a company you can't change your mind and go back.

Mark would love it if "Farve" played for the Vikings. He is positive the Vikings would go to the Super Bowl if he played. Dream on! I personally think he should retire while he has some cognitive abilities left and can still walk. Take your millions and millions of dollars and leave. Spend time with your family, become a motivational speaker, host Monday Night football or roll around in your money. I don't care, just please get off my talk radio, nightly news and all the magazines that are delivered to my house.

I personally hate professional football and everything it stands for. I just can't stand watching a bunch of millionaire jocks who skated through college without ever handing in a paper, going to class or can barely read at a 3rd grade level. Some didn't even graduate college, but that's ok since they were not learning anything in the first place. People buy their jerseys and other paraphernalia because they see them as great athletes or to some parents role models for their kids.

The one thing that bothers me the most is when professional athletes or celebrities in general are labeled as role models. We do not know anything about these people except what their chosen profession is and yet it is ok to practically worship these people. If you want to worship someone go to church.

Quincy Checking out the Sprinklers

 

No It Can't Be!

Tonight we enjoyed an evening at the park. Grant played with the neighbor kids and we actually got to talk to other adults! Grant has progressed on the playground equipment. This summer he has conquered the twisty slide and is now working on the big slide and the climbing wall.

When we arrived at the park it was empty. We sat down and ate our ice cream cones. When we were finished I went to the garbage can to throw away our napkins and then I saw IT! I called Mark over to confirm what I just saw in the garbage can. What was it? "It" was um lets just say an adult purple toy shaped like a male body part. Is this some sort of joke? I really don't think it was someone cleaning out their closet and thought the park garbage can would be a great place to dispose of this! What if this is some sicko putting stuff like this in public places?

Did I tell the neighbors of my discovery? Um...NO! How would you even start a conversation like that? "Hey guess what I found in the garbage over there".

Frickin' Threes!

Whomever said that three year olds are easier than two year olds obviously never had a three year old! I guess it's no surprise that Grant is stubborn. Mark and I are very stubborn. I am more than he his. My motto is "it's my way". It probably has to do in my case with being the youngest, never having to share & having a huge age gap between me and another sibling. Oh and I am terribly bossy! Mark is an only child so we both went through similar experiences.

I just don't "get" children. Somedays, well most days I feel like I totally suck at this mom thing. I don't have the patience that a lot of mothers seem to have. Do all moms feel this way or am I the only? We both never had much experience with children until we had Grant so it has been a crash course in parenting these past three years. We have read some books on the subject. But have decided to not be "book" parents and go with our instincts. He's still alive, happy & a well adjusted so we must be doing something right.

Somedays this "strong willed child" (as described by Dr. M) gets the best of me and during nap time I am going through the classifieds looking for a job, thinking that going back to work would be easier than dealing with Grant all day. Of course the next day he's a complete angel and the job hunt goes on the back burner.

The few things that I do know about him and his stubbornness is that if he stays away from sugar he is a little better. I have to hold my ground with him and not give in. If I give in just a little he totally takes advantage of the situation. Dr. M also specializes in behavior disorders and sees nothing wrong with Grant (no autism, ADHD or ADD), just a typical pre-schooler.

The situation in the grocery store parking lot prompted me to write about this topic in the blog today. Grant runs ahead of me out the automatic door. With a spine tingling shrill I yelled "Grant stop!". He was almost off the sidewalk and into the busy parking lot. I'm sure the whole store heard me! I grabbed his hand and of course dragged him to the car because he screamed "I won't hold hand". We get into the car I proceed to lecture him about not running off. He responds with "OK, OK" and a "I love you mommy".

So if you see me out in public or in the neighborhood and you think I am a little hard on him, I have to be! My child may not be perfect but he is not the one running around the store and knocking stuff off shelves, slapping others or screaming his head off. Bottom line I am bound and determined to raise a respectful, smart and polite human being and I will not be bossed around by a child!

RIDIN DIRTY

Ok I have gone a little overboard today with the Westie driving videos but they are so cute! The music cracks me up because Westies are so noble looking. How did they know this was Quincy's favoite song?!

Hmmmmmmm

Maybe Quincy should take driving lessons so he can take over the driving for once LOL!

Postal Worker Rocks!

I just want to give some mad props to the "Counter Guy" at our local post office. I had to stop in today to mail off a package and was dreading it the entire morning. The lines are usually long and pose quite a challenge for me when Grant is along. As usual there was a wait and only ONE person working the counter. Well there could have been two, expect one worker couldn't figure out how to log into a computer and there was some sort of drama going on in the back. Some drama queen in the back room was yelling at someone or something...classy. Have no fear my favorite "Counter Guy" was working and zipped through the customers fast while giving them great customer service. He never acted like he was in a hurry and had a smile on his face the entire time. Better yet I think we spent maybe 10 minutes in there! It's a little strange that the lines go faster when one person is working versus 2 or 3 people.

Back From Maddens!

Last week Mark and I were invited up to Maddens for the corporate retreat. He had a presentation before the board of directors and I could tag along and do whatever I wanted.

I met the board of directors, managers and spouses. They are such a fun group and easy to relate and talk to.

One day all the wives piled into two vans and went to Nisswa to do a little shopping. Nisswa is a small resort town with fun little shops. I purchased a beautiful candle holder for our living room. It looks like a honeycomb with olive, brown and gold accents swirled into the paint. The next day we took a pontoon ride around Gull Lake. The homes on this lake are around a "measly" 1 million dollars. The sad part of these homes is that they are only lived in a few weeks out of the year. We did see the homes of Kristi Yamaguchi and the owner of Cub Foods. Kristi's wasn't that impressive but the owner of Cubs was fantastic, I wish I had a picture. That same day I also had a massage at the Panache Spa at Maddens. It was wonderful. The therapist kept saying how stiff I was. You try potty training a child for a few moths and see how stress free and flexible you are!

We also had wonderful meals there. Every meal was fantastic, no complaints. It was nice to eat without Grant for a change.

I did however miss my little guys Grant and Quincy. I missed Grant's endless chatter and the sound of Quincy's paws everywhere we went. It was good to get away for a few days but it is always nice to come back.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Yesterday was my birthday. I share a birthday with the following celebrities: Arthur Ashe, Fred Gwynne, David Brinkley, Adolphus Busch (brewer) and of course the "genius" herself Jessica Simpson.I also share it with my Aunt Thersea. Who do you share your birthday with?

I had a great day with Grant. He used the potty without any hassle. We did some shopping and than went to my favorite taco place for lunch. After lunch we came home and had a nap. Susan came over (Mark's mom) to watch Grant while we went to dinner. It was such a treat eating without children no gift was needed! We tried out a new restaurant in town. Not impressed! The food didn't have much flavor and definitely didn't look like the ad in the paper. Since it was my birthday my meal was free (no singing either!). After that we went to Granite City for dessert. We usually don't go to a different place for dessert but we love the chocolate cake here! Very decadent dessert that I only have it once a year, ok maybe twice!

I did get an awesome present from Mark, Grant & Quincy, a set of ladies golf clubs in Candy Apple Red! They are so pretty. These will replace my old starter set. I have a goal to play in a local charity golf scramble in a few years, hopefully these will help!

I may have done a lot of eating on my birthday but it was worth it! I only gained 4 ounces! The golf clubs will help me work it off.

Happy to Be Home!

We made a trek up to Zippel Bay Resort to spend a few days with Mark's family. It's a nice resort with all the amenities a person would need for a fishing trip. The accommodations were roomy, at least the log cabin we stayed in was.

The only complaints I had were the mosquitoes, the biting flies on the lake and the stuff laying on the countertops and the floor of the cabin which was a little much for a neat freak, type A personality like myself to take. When things are messy it makes me tired, crabby and uneasy.

Mark and I realised two things. One: We are not lake resort people, we are Sandals Resort people. Two: I desperately need a vacation without children ASAP!

Grant was a pill the entire time! Mark tried to take him swimming, but he didn't like to get wet (takes after his mother). Apparently the potty training is working too well. When his trunks were wet he thought he had to take them off. We then let him swim in his swim diapers. Those also got wet and he wanted those off. Tired of the struggle we went back to the log cabin. The second day we woke up the mosquitoes in the cabin were awful! Grant tried to go potty, but they swarmed around his penis and this freaked him out the entire trip and wouldn't use the potty the rest of the time we were there. This place really isn't for young children since it is by the water. Grant liked to run around the floating gazebo which was wet in an area with no fencing for two feet. That thing was a drowning accident waiting to happen!

Grant did like two things at the resort: Skipping rocks and his two little buddies he named Darell. The Darell's were two boys between the ages of 5-7 whom he met while playing in the floating gazebo. I don't know what there real names were but to Grant they were named Darrel.

We did enjoy the boat ride Paul took us on. It was Grant's first ride on grandpa's boat. We also enjoyed the two walleye feast dinners while we were there. We both caught up on some reading and sleep while we were there.

Going away make you appreciate what you have in your own home when you return!

Pet Peeves

Most of you know that we have a dog, a West Highland Whiter Terrier to be exact. Quincy is a wonderful dog even though he barks at everything outside (just trying to protect his turf), pees and poops inside when he gets excited or is mad at us & throws up in the middle of the night, we still love him. He is spoiled and treated like a second child and grandchild. Quincy is very protective of Grant. They play together and have an occasional fight. It was hard for Quincy at first to coexist with someone stealing his attention away from mom and dad, but they have worked it out.

Quincy loves to go to the park and go for walks. Unfortunately we can't get a good walk in because all the kids in the neighborhood want to pet and play with him. Quincy is shy & not a "people person". He will let people pet him and if you reach his sweet spot (his tummy) you are his friend for life. He behaves when people pet him and would never nip at a stranger but at the same time he is very annoyed of this procedure. I can't believe all the kids out there who run up to him and want to pet him. First of all you NEVER pet a strange animal without asking the owner and then BEFORE you pet the animal let them sniff the back of your hand. This tells them that you are OK and want to make friends. People that have gone up and petted Quincy are very lucky that he is a nice dog.

It doesn't surprise we when I hear about a child or adult in the news getting attacked by a dog. Please everyone follow the simple rules from above and know one gets hurt.

Apointment From Hell

On Friday Grant had his 3yr check up. Unfortunately he was ill and had a low grade temperature so it wasn't a complete check-up. Grant actually picked a perfect time to be ill. He developed a fever the afternoon before his visit so I wasn't to worried since we would be seeing his doctor the next day.

Grant knew where he was at the minute we hit the parking lot and didn't want to get out of the car. I persuaded him by telling him that Dr. M would give him a book at his check up (he always does). He was OK with that. We stood in line waiting to check in, Grant starts getting a little nervous. We go upstairs and he checks out the play area a bit before his name is called. Grant than proceeds to tell me that it is my check-up, not his!

We finally sit down in the examining room where he continues to freak out. I tell the nurse about his fever. She checks it, it's only 99 degrees! It probably came down because of the Advil. He doesn't want to step on the scale or be measured. He is usually very good at his check-ups so this is surprising. He has calmed down now and Dr. M comes in. He realises he forgot Grant's book and comes back (thank God!)He examines and talks to Grant, who warms up to Dr. M.

Results of his check-up: He is impressed with him! This guy never gives compliments unless they are deserving of them. Did I mention he was Mark's pediatrician? I think he is using Mark as a bench Mark for Grant. He asked Grant "if he was speaking complete sentences like his daddy at his age". Complete yes. Do I understand what he is talking about all the time? No. We didn't get his weight or his height but according to Dr. M he looks to be above average in height. Gee I wonder where he gets that from? So what has Grant accomplished in a year? Knows his upper and lowercase letters, knows the sounds of almost all the letters (thanks J for the Leap Frog video), recognises a few words, counts up to 30 and also can read 2 digit numbers. He also knows his full name and the street he lives on.

Dr. M also examined him for his fever. It's just a virus a lot of his patients have come in with in the past few days. Prescribed him a fever reducer, cool treats, lots of rest, liquids and luke warm baths.

Happy 3rd Birthday, kiddo!

The official Grant Birthday Spectacular Weekend is now over! Saturday was his party, and the whole gang, both sets of grandparents, his good buddies Jonah and Jack, and some of our friends and family were able to make it over for the festivities. A new trike and set of kiddie golf clubs were the highlights of the day. Carla did a great job planning everything and made delicious food and we all had a good time, even though we were pretty tired!

Monday (today) was Grant's official birthday! It is hard to believe that our little guy has grown up so fast. To celebrate, Carla took him to visit me at work today and we went out to lunch. Later, when I got home, we celebrated with some birthday pizza and went to chip golf balls in a nearby park. Grant likes to pretend he is Tiger Woods all the time- as Grant puts it, he's playing golf for "championships" all the time. Grant also apparently is a big Rocco Mediate fan- for those that don't watch golf, he's the guy Tiger beat in the playoff to win the US Open last week- because I asked Grant if Tiger was his favorite golfer, and he said "and I like Rocco too, Daddy."

Skin Deep

Here is a very useful link that is a guide to cosmetics and personal care products brought to you by researchers at the Environmental Working Group. www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/

Here is the mission of this website as stated by Skin Deep: Skin Deep pairs ingredients in more than 25,000 products against 50 definitive toxicity and regulatory databases, making it the largest integrated data resource of its kind. Why did a small nonprofit take on such a big project? Because the FDA doesn't require companies to test their own products for safety.

Take a look at your favorite cosmetics and personal hygeine products, you will be suprised! I have changed to mineral make-up after reading all the toxins that were in my foundation & powder. Little steps like this can make everyone healthier!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood!

After 7 days of rain, it has finally cleared up! The sun is actually shining! The flowers smell incredible and the lilacs are in full bloom. My garden on the other hand needs some work. The radishes, carrots, pumpkins and peppers survived. The other stuff I am not so sure about. I see sprouts of things, but I don't know if they are a weed (some sprouts look alot like weeds). I have a feeling some of the seeds drowned in the soil along with the tomato plants. Oh well the tomato plants can be replanted, or maybe I should give the receipt to the graders who were supposed to place soil in the corner of the lot so it wouldn't pond up in that area!

Grant and I also ventured out into the neighborhood today. First we went to the park then we went on a walk. I have to say that I am not very happy when the apartment kids are there. For one thing they are not supervised. Apparently having a cell phone or a Nextel phone (1/2 walkie talkie, 1/2 cell) with you is the same as having a parent with. Every once in awhile you hear someone on the Nextel "checking" up on their kids or telling them "they better come home in one minute". One night we were at the park with our friends and a group of them were there again...not dressed for the weather. It was roughly 60 degrees and they thought this was the perfect time to get out their swimwear. All of a sudden Mark comes over to me and says "I feel like a pervert" apparently one of the girls swimsuit tops came undone, Mark and Andrew were flashed. They were scared they were going to appear on an episode of "To Catch a Predator".

We also enjoyed our walk today. It was so nice to take in the late spring weather walking hand in hand with my little guy. Maybe the two's are going out like a lamb!

Goodbye, Mr. Russert

I have no idea how many of you that read this blog had ever heard of or watched Tim Russert before yesterday. As a self-titled political junkie, Mark never missed the show Russert hosted on NBC, "Meet The Press," for many years. It was part of his Sunday (or later in the week, thanks to the DVR) as much as reading the newspaper.

Sadly, he was 58 years old when he passed away on Friday after suffering a heart attack. A few years ago, Mark read a short portion of one of Russert's books in an edition of Reader's Digest and was so moved by the piece that he cut the clip out, to remind himself of what the real priorities were in life, even as busy as it gets sometimes. Mark wanted to share a few of the comments on this blog, especially as Father's Day weekend is upon us.

Russert on how his life changed when his only son Luke was born:

"At that moment, all my priorities shifted. There were no more spontaneous happy hours after work, no more late-night movies, and you couldn't have paid me to go to a dinner party. My career became secondary to the blessings of being a parent."

Later, he describes talking to Luke when he went off to college.

"I gave him simple advice: 'Study hard, laugh often, and keep your honor.' I pray that I taught him to make good decisions and given him strong moral grounding to do the right thing."

But it's the last line of the piece that really hits home after hearing of his death:

"Because ever since August 22, 1985, at 7:11 PM, I've known that when my life is over, there's nothing more I'll be judged on than what kind of father I was."

Amen to all of the above.

Thanks, Tim Russert, for all you did to give people a better understanding of their government and their country, but most importantly, for being a great father in your own right. May you rest in eternal peace.

Play On Player

Grant has become quite the social butterfly! He has started to recognise his friends from various places. I don't know if they are his friends or he is just making up names. Yesterday he said he saw his friends Mary at Target and Preston at a sporting goods store.
When we walked into the sporting goods store yesterday as soon as we got in the door he was saying "hi" to everyone. We spent a few minutes upstairs looking for golf accessories for Mark, Grant again was saying "hi" to everyone. Even to the teenage boy on the putting green, who didn't quite know what to say to him. I hope he stays this way and doesn't become shy like his mother. The best part of the shopping experience was in the cafe inside the store where we stopped for a treat. We were in line and Grant walks over to the salt water taffy and tries to chat up a little girl. Grant standing there with his arms crossed "How's it going". The little girl didn't now what to say and walked away. His first rejection by a girl. Oh, well her loss!

Potty Training, Need I Say More?

We have taken on the challenge of potty training Grant. I tried this a few months before, but I stopped because we were both upset. Grant didn't want to sit on the potty and I was crying out of frustration. I then decided since we are a two parent household and one has a lot more patience then the other that Mark would do the potty training bootcamp for the weekend and I would do the rest of the week.

We both read the book "How to Potty Train in Less Than a Day" to get some pointers. Intelligence told me this was not going to work, but secretly I wanted it to. The basic concept is to totally engross your child with potty training and give then all the liquid they desire. This goes on for an entire day. The other component is to use a Potty Scotty type of doll to show the child how to use the potty and "potty train" their doll. Grant had about enough of the doll after a few minutes. It went flying across the room and according to Grant "baby already potty trained". You can't fool this kid.

To make a long story short Grant peed in the potty about 3 times that day and continues to do it 1-2 times a day this week. He pooped on the floor last night (at least he learned he doesn't have to use his Pull-Ups for poop) It's progress! The book didn't work but we alt least got pointers on how to potty train a stubborn child.

I keep reminding myself of something my friend Jaime emailed me a few months ago: Intelligent children are harder to potty train. I also read that at one time. I don't know if I believe this but it sounds good to me!

Future Banker

Since it has been raining or cold this week we were forced to stay in side tonight and not have out usual family walk or park time. What did we do? As some of you may know Grant has an obsession with Mark's place of employment. He points out all the bank locations around town, gets excited over the commercials & loves the paraphernalia Mark brings home. This week I had to coax him into his carseat by letting him "read" the bank flyer that was left in the car. Tonight it was no surprised when I asked him if he wanted to watch the last of Mark's training videos that he said yes. It was like I said he could watch Alvin and the Chipmunks and eat all the ice cream he wanted! Mark killed two birds with one stone. Spend time with his family and getting caught up on his training videos. Not having watched training videos in three years,I also joined in on the fun. I have to say it was like watching the Dharma Initiative videos from Lost.
Needless to say after the video Grant decided to play banker. He grabbed a pen and paper (that was his brochure) and began telling me about the different checking accounts the bank offers. He needs to watch the customer service part of the video again, when his phone rang he proceeded to have a chat with Cookie Monster and Elmo. I guess mommy is not his #1 customer.

What Do You Do All Day?

This post is for all the stay-at-home-moms out there who are tired of the question "What do you do all day?". Here is a brief synopsis of last week.

Monday (Memorial Day)
Grocery shopped, spent quality time with family,had dinner with Mark's parents.
Tuesday
Washed, dried, folded and put away 5 loads of laundry, uncovered garden and flowers from the previous nights frost warning, watered garden and flowers, changed sheets, washed all mirrors and doors. Made phone calls for household appointments.
Wednesday
Supervised sprinkler and Invisible Fence crew, shopped for birthday supplies, sprayed for weeds & mopped floors.
Thursday
Dusted, dealt with an AC repairman who tried to sell me a $500 filter, supervised lawn graders for the 3rd time (for some reason they have a difficult time spreading and smoothing dirt) & washed floors.
Friday
Fun day for Grant! We attended MOMS Club Park and Play where we met up with fellow members and had a fun morning in the park. Grant also had a haircut that day and was so good during his haircut that we went out for lunch afterwards.
Saturday
Went to my nephew Evan's graduation open house in Becker. We had a Great time playing "Polish Golf" and catching up with family.
Sunday
My parents were arriving that day so I tidied up the guest room and made dinner.

Also add into the mix making 3 meals a day plus snacks, breaking up arguments between Grant and Quincy, going to appointments, making it to the gym 4-5 times a week, playing with Grant & going to the park. That is what I do all day.

What is in a Name?

Courtesy of Baby Zone
Grant August
Grant August is a name that reflects analytical powers and a quest for knowledge and information, a search for truth and wisdom. The name Grant August makes one feel like one is in the company of greatness and unconventional intelligence. Inventive. Emotion takes a back seat to mental prowess.
The name Grant August inspires study and research, open-mindedness, daring new concepts, and a devotion to discovering the unknown.
But the name Grant August also gives a sense of philosophy and religious search. Here too, the path to seeking the meaning of the Divine is unconventional.
Grant August’s most positive characteristics: Intelligence, depth, spirituality. Always in search of knowledge.
Grant August’s most negative characteristics: Arrogant, self-centered, eccentric, introvert.

I knew he has a strong name...now if we can only work on his arrogant, self-centered, eccentric & introvert characterisctics. Better yet why dosen't Baby Zone just tell us the truth. Based on your child's name he is going to be an arrogant prick. The things we believe from the internet!

Spring Fever!

Spring has finally hit our house! Gone are the clusters of Canadian thistle, leafy spurge, dandelions, prairie grass and misc broad leaf weeds! The lot has been graded and replaced with black dirt. The landscaping is finished and it looks fantastic! The project manager was very helpful with picking out plants and curb edging that fit the style of our house and personalities. I love flowers, so we chose alot of different flowering bushes (hydrangeas, pink cheddar, hostas, day lilies and purple passion). The neighbors have given us quite a few compliments on our progress. They are probably happy not to be living across from a weedy lot. Now we are onto the grass and sprinkler system portion next week. I will take pictures this weekend and post them on our webshots page, if you wish to look at our progress.
I also did a little gardening of my own last night. I potted wave petunias to give our house some extra color this summer while the plants are growing. These are so easy to plant. All you need is one per container and after a couple of weeks they turn into a beautiful cascading arrangement of flowers. I was inspired by my "Backyard Living" magazine that I even potted one of their arrangements. This is such a great magazine, it gives you recipe cards for your planters (pictures, diagrams, feeding, sunlight and watering directions). Now lets hope we no longer have frost warnings.
Hope everyone has a great weekend! Drive safe!

Excuse Me, Please and Thank-you

Grant was complimented on his manners a few days ago. I guess we are doing something right in his transition to a pre schooler. How did he get to be so polite? For one thing I never let a toddler tell me what to do. He learned the sign for please when he was very young. Anytime he wanted something he had to say please. When he received the item he would have to say thank-you. He also learned by watching us saying please and thank-you to others. He learned excuse me probably from shopping with us and trying to get around people. Sometimes it's extremely difficult getting around places with a stroller, especially walking in back of people who don't have a clue where they are going. Excuse me is a nice way of saying in that situation get out of the way! Grant is super polite he even says "excuse me" when trying to go down the stairs when Quincy is blocking them. It's true what they say "practice what you preach". Children are always learning from you, I am always reminded to be a good example for him. Now if I could get his little buddy from calling me "hey you" or "hey you, I want some milk".

May the Best Man Win

Anyone watch American Idol last night? It was the clash of the Davids. David C. and David A. What did you think of the writers song (the second song of the contestants)? I thought the 2nd song that David C sang was a little strange. It sounds like something that would be on Signature HomeStyles hold music (live your dreams, dream big blah, blah, blah).
I don't know who I want to win. David C obviously has talent,easy to market & he seems like a hardworking guy. But the runner-up usually has greater success. Where as David A. just plain irritates me! He has a great singing voice but that is it. Have you ever heard him speak? His voice is more annoying than Rita Cosby's voice. That raspy voice it like fingers on a chalk board. Also the fact he closes his eyes when he sings drives me crazy. What are you hiding from? I would also like him to win just so his dad doesn't beat him up if he doesn't win.
OK enough ranting. I guess tonight's episode is a win win situation. 1. I don't have to hear David A speak again and 2. I can free up space on my TiVo.

Can't we all just get along!

Here is a quote from the AP about the latest statistics on breastfeeding. "The latest CDC report found rates of breast-feeding were also lowest among women who are unmarried, poor, rural, younger than 20, and have a high school education or less". This is so insulting!

I found the quote to be very disturbing. They are generalizing a group of women just because they chose not to breastfeed or there body wouldn't let them. I didn't breastfeed and I am married, upper-middle class, over 30 and have a college degree. So take that CDC! The bottom line is you have to WANT to breastfeed. A local hospital is not offering formula anymore to new mothers, because they want them to breastfeed or at least try. This is ridiculous, give the mothers a choice! If you are nervous and are forced to breastfeed you will not be relaxed enough and you will become frustrated and feeding your child will become a chore. The new mothers will probaly go straight to the formula when they come home from the hospital.

Breastfeeding is difficult, especially to new mothers. When Grant was born the nurse practically forced me to breastfeed him and was upset with me when I wasn't getting the positions right. Do you now how traumatic that is to a woman who has just given birth minutes before, exhausted and trying to soak everything in that has just happened to her? I continue to try to nurse when we arrived home, but my milk never came in. I would of had to stop nursing 6 weeks later anyway since I am cursed with insulin resistance and need to take medication for it. When I stopped trying I felt so guilty. I read all the books where they said "breast is best" and I heard how great is was for an infant's developing brain. This caused me to be a little depressed thinking my son would grow up to be a babbling idiot! I am not taking sides on weather to breastfeed or not, as long as your feeding your baby I really don't care what you do!

Is the CDC trying to guilt people into breastfeeding and making them feel like a higher class of people if they choose to breastfeed? Bottom line can't we all be grateful that we have been given this chance at motherhood and stop judging people for their way of parenting.

Side Note: Grant has not grown to be a babbling idiot. He can count 1-20 and beyond, knows his alphabet (upper and lowercase) & colors, speaks well for his age, has a great memory and is even starting to recognize a few words.

Road Trip

Last Friday we set out for "The Cities" to watch my niece Lacey receive her Masters Degree. It was well worth getting up at 5AM and making the 3 hour journey to see her walk across the stage. Tears filled my eyes as I remembered her as a little girl with the prettiest golden locks you have ever seen and now she is an accomplished young woman ready to take on the world! Congratulations Lacey, we are all very proud of you!
After graduation we all met up at Buca di Beppo for dinner. This place has amazing food and atmosphere. Mark and I were still talking about the food on the way home on Saturday.
A trip to "The Cities" wouldn't be complete without a trip to the outlet mall on the way home. We all found a few bargains (thank-you Izod store!) and would of stayed longer but it started raining. Mark also enjoyed the mall, so much in fact he said and I quote " We should come back a couple of times a year". Don't think I won't take you up on that! I have to say during all this activity Grant held up very well. He enjoyed running around the campus, slept through part of graduation, ate really well at dinner and didn't mind shopping at the outlet mall. The only setbacks he had were two episodes of diarrhea during graduation (which actually gave us a chance to walk around) and a blister on his feet from too much walking. Not too bad for a toddler with no nap!

Jurassic Fart

Grant finds this hillarious! I don't know why.

Wow Grant is Almost 3!

I can't believe it's been almost 2 years since Grant started to walk! Mark informed me of this because Grant took his first steps on the day of the Kentucky Derby. Looking at the picture I wish I remembered more of those precious baby days! If only we could have him that way for 1 more day. We were so excited that he learned to walk and was a fairly good walker before he turned one. If we only new what we were getting ourselves into.

Dancing Dog

I love this! It must be a pretty docile dog to go through this. Quincy would be bitting our hands though the entire video it we would ever do this!

Happy May Day!

Happy May Day everyone! Grant received two baskets today, what a popular little guy. The first one was from the neighbor's kids and the other was from our gym's daycare. I think he ate the entire contents of his basket on the way home in the car. This is one of the "holidays" you never think about until you have children or live in a friendly neighborhood.

I remembemer as a child (5 or 6 years old) our backyard neighbors were elederly but very friendly. They were like the grandparents of the neighborhood. One May Day I remember my mom filling a basket wih candy and a can of beer for the Bishoffs. She told me to ring their door bell and run away. I did what she told me to do and ran as fast as my little legs could take me. Looking back I think how strange it must have looked to see a little girl come up to your porch and deliver a basket with a can of beer! Those were simpiliar times!

Next year I will have to get with "it" and have Grant deliver May Day baskets, minus the beer.

Squeaky Clean

Sunday night as Mark and I were getting ourselves ready to go out for the evening Grant found the Vicks Vapor Rub. I don't know why I didn't see what he was doing because he was right next to me the entire time. I did notice however he wasn't talking to me and asking a million questions like he usually does so I turned around and he had Vicks in his hair & on his face! I told Mark to stop whatever he was doing and get upstairs. A bath was drawn and shampooing began immediately. Mark finished making dinner & everything was right with the world (or so we thought). We left for the evening and left Grandpa Paul in charge of Grant. They had a great time playing with the train set and eating Cheetos. When we came home Grant's hair was worse! He looked like a 50's greaser. The next day I talked to my friend Amanda who is also a hair stylist. She recommended Dawn dish soap because it cuts grease. I soaped up his hair three times last night and it is much better. His hair even makes a squeaky sound when you touch it!

Is This Thing On?

Does anyone read this? Feel free to post comments (keep it nice). When you do I ask you not to post anything on where we live or Mark's place of employment.

Going Green?

Happy belated Earth Day! OK so I am a week late, who cares. Is Al Gore going to come find me and force me to plant a tree?

Actually our family (mostly me) is trying a few things to help the planet. We recycle newspapers, plastic, cans and glass. This has also kept us down to one garbage can per week! If something doesn't have enough of a taxable value to donate we place the item on Freecycle. I try to get errands done all at one time or a one stop shop place to save on fuel. For example at the grocery store I can rent a DVD, develop my photos, buy stamps and groceries all in one place. I have tried "green" cleaning supplies and have not been impressed. They are very streaky and twice the work.

My car gets great gas mileage. My car doesn't take ethanol. I wouldn't use it if it did. Using our food source for energy is scary and we shouldn't be doing it. Just take a look at grocery prices. Anything with corn has gone up in price! So have a lot of items but especially corn items. We are creating our own destiny people! If you drive a truck or SUV don't complain to me about the price of gas. Do you really need that large of a vehicle? I have never understood why people in the city need to drive such large vehicles (Ford Excursion, trucks, etc).

Happy belated Green Week everyone! Quincy is telling me he needs to go outside and contribute to the earth in his own way.

I Make This Look Good!

There is an epidemic among women, poorly fitted jeans! I have noticed this for awhile and can't keep it to myself any longer. Here are a few tips for choosing your jeans.

First and foremost jeans are to be worn at the hips/belly button or slightly below the belly button. Jeans should also fit comfortable in the back. No gaps in the back! It is disgusting to see people bend over right in front of you and get an eyeful of naked bootie! Also do not wear jeans that are faded in trouble spots such as the thighs and bootie, fading makes them larger! Wear the proper size. Who cares if your size is a 12. Do you really think a size 8 will make you look thinner? No it gives you a muffin top!

Along with the proper fit please wear the proper underwear! Thong straps, granny panties, etc. should not be seen. Don't people check themselves out in the mirror before leaving the house or at least do the bend test when trying on jeans?

Mom jeans. Please throw them out! High waisted, pleats and the ultra cool elastic waist band are just a few traits of the mom jeans. Also note elastic waist bands are for pregnant women and toddlers if your not anyone of them DON'T WEAR ELASTIC waist bands!

For the record I am not staring at women I just happen to spend way too much time lately at gymnastics class and parks. These fashion disasters cannot be ignored even if I tried.

I have said my peace. Ladies, please go out and buy yourself a good pair of fitting jeans (or 2 or 3)!

David

26 years go today my brother David passed away, he was only 17. Even though I was only 5 1/2 when the accident happened, some of my first memories have David in them.

David wasn't just my brother he was my playmate. I remember the motorcycle rides around the block, sharing a bag of chips in the family room & the vent between our rooms where David, Larry and Lori would try to pass me through. David had a tender side to him that you don't find in a lot of teen age boys. I remember one morning in kindergarten I didn't want to go to school but David took my hand and we walked to the the bus. Everything was better in my world because he was there. One day he brought home a Little Golden Book he found on the street, he was so happy to give it to me. It was a little beat up. I believe it is called "A Day on the Farm". I still have it and read it to Grant. One of my most vivid memories is the two of us dancing in the kitchen. I believe the song was I Love Rock N'Roll. People have said that where ever David was there were good times to be had.

Grant's smile some days takes my breath away, he looks just like David. When I see that smile I feel David's presence and it makes me smile.

David's passing has left some unanswered questions. I have always wondered what he would have done after high school. He was good at mechanics, I wonder if that would have been a career path for him. Who would he marry? Did he feel at peace when he died?. I guess those are normal questions people have when someone dies so young.

My heart goes out to my parents on this day. I can't imagine how it must feel to lose a child. They are the strongest people I know. They kept our family together through that difficult time and tried to keep us feeling normal even thought their hearts were broken.

We love and miss you David. I know you are looking down at us and will come to greet each and everyone of us when our time comes. Until them I cherish my memories of you and keep them close to my heart.

The follow words are lyrics to a song sung by Kenny Chesney. When I first heard the song it took my breath away. It sums up the feelings of loosing someone so close to you and the questions that you will always have.

Who You'd Be Today lyrics

Sunny days seem to hurt the most.
I wear the pain like a heavy coat.
I feel you everywhere I go.
I see your smile, I see your face,
I hear you laughin' in the rain.
I still can't believe you're gone.

It ain't fair: you died too young,
Like the story that had just begun,
But death tore the pages all away.
God knows how I miss you,
All the hell that I've been through,
Just knowin' no-one could take your place.
An' sometimes I wonder,
Who'd you be today?

Would you see the world? Would you chase your dreams?
Settle down with a family,
I wonder what would you name your babies?
Some days the sky's so blue,
I feel like I can talk to you,
An' I know it might sound crazy.

It ain't fair: you died too young,
Like the story that had just begun,
But death tore the pages all away.
God knows how I miss you,
All the hell that I've been through,
Just knowin' no-one could take your place.
An' sometimes I wonder,
Who you'd be today?

Today, today, today.
Today, today, today.

Sunny days seem to hurt the most.
I wear the pain like a heavy coat.
The only thing that gives me hope,
Is I know I'll see you again some day.

Some day, some day, some day.

Political Humor

These are courtesy of one of my favorite local talk show hosts. Larry you are hilarious!

Did you hear Obama is serving lunch today? He is starting with 2 fishes and 5 loaves of bread.

Announcer: Which of the three presidential candidates would you like to have a drink with?
Larry: I would like to have a drink with Obama to see the water turn into wine.

The last jokes courtesy of bumper stickers on cafepress.com.
"Life's A Bitch So Don't Vote For One"
"Hillary, Changing Democracy One Socialist Idea At A Time"
"Another Thinking Republican Who Won't Vote For McCain"-My favorite

Seriously

Please take down your outside decorations. It is April and Halloween & Christmas have been over with for awhile!

Chick Magnet

Last night Mark worked late so Grant & I went to a local pita shop and ate dinner. He was such a good boy! He was so happy to have juice he was smiling from ear to ear. Lately he wants to help me clean. It was no surprise when took everything off the tray one by one and placed it in the garbage can. For the past few moths he has been acting out at restaurants, maybe we are at the end of our "terrible twos".

After dinner we went to the gym. I dropped him off at the daycare and when I came back...he was sitting in the lap of an older women! She was about five and was reading him a story. It was very cute!

Bunco and Other Things

I joined our neighborhood Bunco last fall. I never thought I would do something like this but it turns out it is quite fun and a great way to get to know people in our neighborhood. It's a good group of women. I have also found it useful to scout out babysitters in the neighborhood since a few of the women have teenagers. By the way I actually won money last night at Bunco!

The neighbor next door is building a swing set for his kids. I don't care except that he chose the windiest day of the year yesterday to start on it and the wrapping is all over our "yard". Speaking of the "yard" I have spoken with some landscapers. Mark and I have come to an agreement that most of them are unorganized. I don't know how they manage to keep their businesses alive. When I mention the size of the lot and what I want done then they seem interested. I am tired of these people just trying to get their hands in my pockets. One of the companies called and wanted to speak to Mark. That seems strange since I was the one called and left a message. I guess the "missus" can't make a decision or write checks. We do however have a company lined up to install our sprinkler system, seeding and Invisa Fence (for Quincy not Grant) and will have an actual lawn this summer!

Grant's Food Logic

What is the best way to choose a grocery store A). Sales B). Location C).Bakery Samples D). Race car Shopping Carts. Answer: C&D

I have noticed in the past 2 1/2 years Grant has his own logic about food. Spaghetti tastes better when it is smeared all over your face. Grape jelly makes a great mustache. If I beg for food that is not in the house it will magically appear. Flirt with the bakery ladies, they will give you cookies! Don't worry about finishing your lunch, give it to Quincy. If someone is eating a snack at playgroup I must have one, even if I arrived 15 minutes ago and had breakfast 30 minutes before that. If you are eating something in front of me you have to share, I will not share with you though. Eat pickles until you puke. Don't stand in Quincy's bowls. Grandmas always have treats. They will give me Koolaid until I wet through my diaper and any clothing I have on. Grandma Susan always has raisins and animal crackers. I will eat anything for a babysitter or my grandmas.

Grant is actually a great eater. He loves fruit, we are working on vegetables. Tonight he actually ate asparagus! Sometime I miss the baby days when he had 1 choice and it was so easy to prepare. But it is fun to see what he will and will not eat. He surprised me by eating cantaloupe, grapefruit & green peppers (separately). The biggest surprise was a few weeks ago when he ate an entire garden sized tomato.

I can definitely see that Grant and I enjoy the same foods. I finally have someone to plant a garden for & share a Hawaiian pizza with!

Customer Service

In the past few weeks I have come across a few businesses that need to work on their customer service skills. Being a veteran of the customer service industry I feel I have a right to complain. I know when I receive good service and when I do the person is rewarded with a thank-you or sometimes I will call the 800 number and make sure the worker is given proper acknowledgement. To those who give me bad service beware I have a blog and I know how to use it! Ha, Ha.

On Tuesday Grant I shopped at Sam's Club. After bribing him with the promise of free samples at Sam's he obliged and graced me with his presence. After shopping for the usual (Pull-Ups and produce) I came to the check-out line. Two lines open! Considering at their busiest time (Friday night at 7PM) they usually have approximately 5 checkouts open this wasn't a surprise. I went to one line great no one there! The cashier walked away and was chatting with another employee. Never came back. Are you serious! Went to the next lane placed one item on the belt previous cashier came back saw me and said nothing. I gave her a look to know I was displeased and made a comment to Grant loud enough so that she heard it.

Two weeks ago our local newspaper was offering a great subscription rate for weekend subscribers to add on the weekly paper. I called and wanted more information. First time I called the customer service person admitted she was new and didn't know much about the offer. She read me the info which was fine and told her I would think about it and call back. The next day I called back and Elaine answered. I told her that I was interested in the spacial subscriber rate for weekend customers. "We don't just offer it to anyone" she said. As she went on and on I finally got upset and raised my voice (which is something I usually don't do to strangers) and had to talk over her to say I received this offer with my weekend paper. She shut up and told me she would send out the bank information. Received the information, sent it back. I waited another few days to receive my daily service. Irritated so I called them to see what was up. I was told that the billing information goes to the business office first. OK I said but it's been five days. The paper came the next day. If I didn't call I would still be waiting for my paper.

Last complaint I promise. We are planning on doing some landscaping this spring/summer. I called a company last week and they said that they would get back to me the following week. Well today is Thursday and no appointment has been set up. I called and gave the person my reason for calling. He looked up my info and had no record of me. He said and I quote "I must have threw your information in the garbage." Are you freaking kidding me!

Jesse's Girl

My son has a new obsession. We have moved on from Sesame Street, Cars & Elmo to Rick Springfield. It all started when I Tivo'd The Oprah Show. Rick Springfield was the guest. I thought this might be interesting considering all the women in the audience. I started watching it and of course Rick Springfield played Jesse's Girl and the crowd of women went nuts. I had to show Mark this. I said look at all the 40 year old housewives going crazy. They were truly reliving their junior high, high school and college years all at once. It was a sight to behold. Christa that will be us once NYSNC and The Backstreet Boys start doing the casino tours in 20 years. So the next day I can't get the song out of my head. I remembered that I actually have that song on CD in my car. I pop it in on the way to the gym. The song is over. Grant: Again mommy, again. Play Friend song. I do over and over again until we arrive at the gym. Then he doesn't want to get out of the car because he wants to listen to "The Friend Song". We compromise and go in. An hour later we come back and he wants the same song played again! By this point I am a little tired of this song I try to listen to talk radio, he will have none of that. Two months later that darn song is still playing in my car. So if you hear Jesse's Girl coming from the car next to you it's not a 30 year old woman reliving her high school days it's just my toddler jamming away!

One Shining Moment

Tonight is the final night in the NCAA Tournament. It's actually a big deal in our house. Up until this year Mark and I would fill out separate brackets for the past few years. It is actually fun. I usually play it safe and choose the top teams to make it to the Final Four. Duke is usually a no brainer. The Devils sure surprised me this year and lost in the second round! My days of being a Duke fan go back to the Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill & Christian Laettner days. I will never forget the last second shot Christian Laettner put up against Kentucky which took them to the "Big Dance". My favorite part of the Final Four is actually the end when "One Shining Moment" plays in the background and you see all the highlights from this year in college basketball. I love to see the unbelievable shots and the raw emotion brought out in the players and fans.

I wish every student could have their own "One Shining Moment". Being on a championship team is something I will never forget. OK so I was a cheerleader so what! Cheerleaders are still part of the team. When the buzzer rang and we won it was bitter sweet. I was estatic that we won and sad that this would be my last time being part of a team. At least we the seniors left on a high note and won the first championship for our school! I still have the tape of that game and watch it once in awhile. I only watch one part, the end. I see the faces of my classmates. For that one moment in time we were young, happy and felt like we were on top of the world! I don't know what happened to a lot of them but I would like to remember them as I see them in that old VHS tape.

Jay Hawks win!!!

First Post

I have finally started a blog! Yes I have given into the computer age and have decided to write about my family and myself. One thing that has always held me back is if I had a blog what would I name it? I have to thank my husband for coming up with the name and for payment I have to tell everyone how great of a husband he is. Yes Mark you are a terrific husband. OK are we even?

Seriously he is a terrific husband. He works hard everyday as a Vice President at a local bank and always has time for our family. His success has allowed me to stay at home with our son and our furry child our annoying I mean adorable Westie Terrier.

Before I became a full-time mommy I worked in retail management and then moved onto selling advertising. I like this job much better and wouldn't trade it for anything! I love watching our son learn and explore new spaces and ideas everyday. I feel honored to be his teacher during this time in his life. A few years ago I would of said you were crazy if you thought I would enjoy being around children...nothing is better than a hug from my son which probaly left hand prints on my shirt from whatever messy object he was playing with. When people tell me they could never do what I do I tell them this: I get to wake up everday and do the things that I enjoy for the people that I love.