2 year olds are funny.

Mom: Daddy will you pass the salt?
2YO: Mom. He is my dad, not yours.
Mom: You are right. Do you know who my dad is?
2YO: Grandpa Chuck.
Mom: Right! Do you know who my mom is?
2YO: Grandpa's friend, Grandma.

Beautiful Tree

Let it Snow!

Rum Punch

When you saw the title of this entry did you catch the reference?  I know my Mom did. 
When Mary Poppins says that her favorite flavor is Rum Punch - it is a joy to hear it.

Here is a bit from Mary Poppins - Rum Punch is at 13:30



I don't know why I felt compelled to blog about Rum Punch this evening.
But I love this movie and it has so many good songs in it.

Enjoy!

Wishes

I wish I had a bullhorn, a sassy bumper sticker, or a running sign on my car to communicate with those around me in an appropriate manner.

Hey dummy -- slow down or you might end up in the ditch

Just because you don't value your life - doesn't mean you have to take mine.

Take your macho attitude and move to Texas.

Today, I am SO thankful that I didn't end up in a ditch because there were many people driving way to fast for the conditions. I am thankful that I wasn't bullied into driving faster than I felt comfortable doing.  I am thankful that the cars I did see go into the ditch - the cars didn't flip or people get ejected. 

I dislike winter driving. But I love Winter.
Is that kind of like loving the Sinner but not the sin?
Funny.

Okay. I am done rambling.
I am so looking forward to Thanksgiving!!
Hey Mom -- are we having pink stuff?  cranberry relish? creamed corn?
Can't wait to play some cards, drink some Cherry Wine, and hang out with my wonderful parents and sister's family. Love you guys.

Found this on Facebook

My friend Janis posted this tonight.

I am posting it here to check back and see how many of the books I have read in 5 years.  

How well have you done on this list?

BBC says most people have only read 6 of this list of 100. How about you?

by Janis on Saturday, November 20, 2010 at 9:48pm

Copy the list, paste it in your note, bold the ones you've finished, italicize the ones you started.  Tag me so I can see your list!

1. Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen 

2 The Lord of the Rings – JRR Tolkien  

3 Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte

4 Harry Potter series – JK Rowling

5 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee 

6 The Bible

7 Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte

8 Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell 

9 His Dark Materials – Philip Pullman

10 Great Expectations – Charles Dickens 

11 Little Women – Louisa M Alcott

12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles – Thomas Hardy

13 Catch 22 – Joseph Heller 

14 Complete Works of Shakespeare

15 Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier 

16 The Hobbit – JRR Tolkien

17 Birdsong – Sebastian Faulks

18 Catcher in the Rye – JD Salinger 

19 The Time Traveller’s Wife – Audrey Niffenegger

20 Middlemarch – George Eliot

21 Gone With The Wind – Margaret Mitchell

22 The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald 

23 Bleak House – Charles Dickens

24 War and Peace – Leo Tolstoy

25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy – Douglas Adams

26 Brideshead Revisited – Evelyn Waugh

27 Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky 

28 Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck 

29 Alice in Wonderland – Lewis Carroll

30 The Wind in the Willows – Kenneth Grahame

31 Anna Karenina – Leo Tolstoy

32 David Copperfield – Charles Dickens

33 Chronicles of Narnia – CS Lewis

34 Emma – Jane Austen

35 Persuasion – Jane Austen

36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe – CS Lewis

37 The Kite Runner – Khaled Hosseini

38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin – Louis De Berniere

39 Memoirs of a Geisha – Arthur Golden

40 Winnie the Pooh – AA Milne

41 Animal Farm – George Orwell

42 The Da Vinci Code – Dan Brown 

43 One Hundred Years of Solitude – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney – John Irving

45 The Woman in White – Wilkie Collins

46 Anne of Green Gables – LM Montgomery

47 Far From The Madding Crowd – Thomas Hardy

48 The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood

49 Lord of the Flies – William Golding

50 Atonement – Ian McEwan

51 Life of Pi – Yann Martel

52 Dune – Frank Herbert

53 Cold Comfort Farm – Stella Gibbons

54 Sense and Sensibility – Jane Austen

55 A Suitable Boy – Vikram Seth

56 The Shadow of the Wind – Carlos Ruiz Zafon

57 A Tale Of Two Cities – Charles Dickens

58 Brave New World – Aldous Huxley

59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time – Mark Haddon

60 Love In The Time Of Cholera – Gabriel Garcia Marquez

61 Of Mice and Men – John Steinbeck

62 Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov

63 The Secret History – Donna Tartt

64 The Lovely Bones – Alice Sebold

65 Count of Monte Cristo – Alexandre Dumas

66 On The Road – Jack Kerouac

67 Jude the Obscure – Thomas Hardy

68 Bridget Jones’s Diary – Helen Fielding

69 Midnight’s Children – Salman Rushdie

70 Moby Dick – Herman Melville 

71 Oliver Twist – Charles Dickens

72 Dracula – Bram Stoker

73 The Secret Garden – Frances Hodgson Burnett

74 Notes From A Small Island – Bill Bryson

75 Ulysses – James Joyce 

76 The Bell Jar – Sylvia Plath

77 Swallows and Amazons – Arthur Ransome

78 Germinal – Emile Zola 

79 Vanity Fair – William Makepeace Thackeray

80 Possession – AS Byatt

81 A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens 

82 Cloud Atlas – David Mitchell 

83 The Color Purple – Alice Walker

84 The Remains of the Day – Kazuo Ishiguro

85 Madame Bovary – Gustave Flaubert

86 A Fine Balance – Rohinton Mistry

87 Charlotte’s Web – EB White

88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven – Mitch Albom

89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

90 The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton 

91 Heart of Darkness – Joseph Conrad

92 The Little Prince – Antoine De Saint-Exupery

93 The Wasp Factory – Iain Banks

94 Watership Down – Richard Adams

95 A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

96 A Town Like Alice – Nevil Shute

97 The Three Musketeers – Alexandre Dumas

98 Hamlet – William Shakespeare

99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Roald Dahl 

100 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo





Blogiversary

Is Blogiversary a word even?

It is hard to imagine that this medium has held my attention (and yours) for 3 years? Has it been that long?

It is fun to look back at some posts and re-live the haircuts that the eldest has given herself or something cute the youngest said.

If you have some time -- peruse the entries and let me know what your favorite is.

Here's to another fun year at 'Play Catch-up With Cate'!

Happy Birthday Pinkalicious style

Snow.....

Am I missing something?

After this last election -- I thought to myself... there is obviously something appealing about the Republican message that I am missing.

What I am craving is conversation on issues without drama. Is that possible? Explain to me how your position is going to benefit me. That is what I want.

I am pretty sure that I am pretty set on most issues -- but I would still like to hear from someone why they believe the opposing viewpoint.

Do you listen to or read any sources that are non-partisan but full of good facts and conversation? Please share them in the comments if you do.

Happy Halloween!!

Diego and Ms Vampire Bat had a great time trick or treating tonight.
We hit all the neighbors and my youngest was willing to go up to any
door!
Hey~ there was candy involved!

Check it Out!

My super cool husband just came across this site. I immediately fell in love with it and I have only read one post and scrolled down the first page.

Make It Do

Today is the day we get Halloween costumes ready and go to a party tonight.
I will be posting photos of a Vampire Bat and Diego.
(Maybe... we will see if Daddy and B survive the process...)

Have a great day and enjoy

I Ride an Old Paint - Take 2

Fun inside too

Fun Fall Activities

A B C's for Grandma and Grandpa

Loves puzzles

Can't believe it

One month of school under her belt

My Eldest the Artist

North

I was reading the paper yesterday online and I noticed a story about someone being shot in North Mpls. I immediately opened up the story to see what happened and how close to home it was. Not close but in the middle of the day which was not good.
While I was disturbed by the story of a young man dying - I was upset initially because North Minneapolis was in the headline. This spring there was more violence in South Minneapolis and I don't remember that being in the headline. I remember I had to open up the story and find the address before I knew where it had happened.
North Minneapolis is a big place. It is a diverse place. But we have been pegged as the violent part of Minneapolis and that just isn't true. Yes. We have violence. But did you know that we have all sorts of community building activities as well?  We have Holiday on 44th, movies on the parkway, concerts in the part, ice cream socials, active block clubs, a large community garage sale, great schools, lots of parks, and many more fun family friendly activities through out the year.
When someone asks where I live and I say North Minneapolis, I would get a kick out of the response. {Really?} Then I would say - I love my neighborhood. There are a bunch of households that go on vacation together in Ely, we have an active block club that puts on a great National Night Out, and we are helpful and friendly to each other.
So my point is - challenge your assumptions. There are people in North Minneapolis that live and work with you every day. We deserve to be treated with respect. I understand the media sensationalizing the stories of the violence to sell more advertising but I don't like it.

Friday

Friday has new meaning for me.

All of a sudden, I can't leave early on a Friday and take off to points beyond. I haven't been tied to a school schedule in many moons. I won't detail exactly how  long it has been just to keep the illusion alive.

School has gone well - I think. I can't believe how hard it is to get something coherent out of a kid. Well... I can believe it - I wish it were easier.  Recess and music are her favorite parts still. I can't wait to meet this awesome music teacher. I guess she already has an ex-friend. Someone doesn't want to be her friend anymore. That was quick but inevitable.

I think I am ready for my glass of wine and then off to bed.
T.G.I.F.

In other news...

I completely forgot that my youngest has taken up a new hobby.
Bike riding.
He is good!
We acquired this bike from a friend this summer and between home and daycare- he flys around on the bike like a fiend.

I wonder if his training wheels will be off before his sisters...

First Day of Kindergarten

Here is a pretty cute picture of my two munchkins from this morning.
They both had pretty good days where they were.
I am excited to watch both of them blossom in their new situations.

I thought after we got home that they would hug and be happy to see each other.
Nope.
One screamed at the other and then the hitting started.
Oh well.
Maybe that will happen when the elder goes to college.
A Mom can dream.

New Chapters

My life has some big changes in it right now.
Sometimes it is hard to sit back, relax, and try to make memories of this time of my life.
Both kids are in big transitions and I am right in the midst of it.

My 6 year old starts kindergarten tomorrow.
She is so ready.
I drew flowers on her backpack and lunchbag this evening to make them unique. I am sure that there will be some other little girls at school that have the same back pack. Hello Kitty is still pretty popular.

My 2.9 year old is almost potty trained. He DOES NOT want to wear diapers anymore. He wants to wear Diego Pull Up! We are so excited to almost be out of diapers. My one question is do we have to have a full box of 60 diapers when he finally decides to be done with them? Is that the way the world works?

Thankfully my work and MD's work are stable and understanding. I told my boss that I might be a bit late tomorrow and weepy and she said she expected no less.  I don't want to cry tomorrow. I wish I could understand why I cry. Why do we cry at happy occasions? Is the emotion so overwhelming that we have to let it out through tears?

Before we even get to the school thing - I have to get my kids to sleep. That doesn't make me cry at all - that just makes me a bit frustrated.

So say a little prayer for my munchkin tomorrow and let's hope she wants to go back the next day!

When dreams get ugly

I was thinking to myself just the other day that I hadn't been dreaming and remembering them.
Well - I have now had two scary dreams that have woke me up at about 5am in the last 4 days.
The slightly weird part about it too was that my daughter met me in the hall on the way to the bathroom and she had been woke up by a bad dream as well.

Getting ready for sleep-

Having a snack first.

Potty training

My youngest is getting so close to being potty trained. He had a dry diaper tonight and then used the potty before bed.
I will not take a picture of him on the potty so you will just have to be happy with me when I say I can't wait to stop buying diapers!

A Milestone

Check it out!
I hope we can get in touch with the Tooth Fairy at this late hour.

Social Norms

I find being with my 2 year old refreshing in a lot of ways.
He asks lots of questions that are off-limits for an adult to bring up but a 2 yr old can.

Today we were walking up the block and a man and woman were walking in front of us obviously just after some sort of exercise.
'Why isn't that man wearing a shirt?'
'Why is the other man wearing a shirt?' (It was a woman with a pony tail so obviously he wasn't paying attention...)
'What's that man's name?'
'Where is that man going?'

These are some examples of the questions I answered as we were walking behind them. I especially like the social norm questions. Why do men get to be in public without a shirt but women can't? I wanted to answer that it's because men can't control themselves around breasts. Obviously I didn't say that - but I have a hard time explaining why some things are the way they are.

If any of you want to borrow my 2 year old for some good fun - let me know. He usually talks loud enough for the person to hear at least his side of the  conversation so that makes it extra fun.

Where I can be

A familiar cycle in my life has come around again and I cannot believe that my time in the BWCA is that far in my past. 
I miss the consistency of the week - living in a tent, eating what we cooked over a fire in close proximity to nature and those we love, dipping my paddle into the clear water while my head is tipped to the heavy wind.
I sometimes wish that I could infuse my life with this schedule but modern times do not wait around for the fire to consume the fuel. So instead I yearn for those moments in my life where I can leave my city life behind and I can burden my back with my packs and canoe and search for those lovely spaces where I can be.

First Camping for the youngest

My Trees

For quite a while now, when we travel past these trees, I have said, 'There are my trees'.

Classic photo

From the Dubuque River Museum.

I could NOT get my youngest to listen.
In his defense, it was 2p and he hadn't had a nap yet.

This is my 'fire-fighter'

 

The little man spent quite a bit of time on this 'fire-fighter'. 

I did try to tell him that that was his 'fire-fruck' and he was the fire fighter but he wasn't going to listen to me.

'A' Words

I am feeling a bunch of 'A' words are appropriate for my feelings today.

Anxious and Anticipating are the two biggies.

I am planning a trip that is going to require physical toughness and I am just not sure where I am from 3 years ago.

Can I carry a 50 pound pack on my back? Am I going to be able to walk a few miles with that 50 pounds?

I think I am tougher because I carry my 30+ pound 2 year old around daily so that should have been good training. But I don't like the not knowing for sure. I don't want to be the weakest link! Getting older just plain sucks in that category.

I am excited to be on the water with my paddle, water bottle, and friends. I am anticipating that all my fears will melt away after I ask my hubby to help me heft the pack on and I take off down the portage for the first time in a while.

OMG! It's JB!!!

And on a side note, I am deaf.

Shoppin'

Moving in a Direction

Busy Busy Summer ahead.

Tonight I actually had energy to do some things around the house when I got home.
But there is SO much more for us to do.

We are starting to really get serious about getting our next house project underway.
I am so excited to be moving in this direction.

There are many things that I need to get out of this house in preparation.
I told B last night that I would pay her to help me clean and organize the house.
The funny thing is the the D-man is better about helping me that the B is.
When I told B that D was going to make more money than her she got mad at him.
She just doesn't get it yet.

If you would like to earn a dollar per box - please contact me and I will put you to work.

New iPhone

I may have to purchase the new iPhone 4.
When I purchased my iPhone - it was the first generation... No GPS, No Flash, One Camera, No Video...  Heck - I am lucky that the darn thing makes a phone call!

Kidding.

I love my phone but I am REALLY lusting after the newest model.
Damn you Steve Jobs!!!

Yummy Tummy Hurting Food

Yesterday I pushed my limits on the food that I shouldn't eat.

*Fresh, Sun-ripened Strawberries - a small explosion of yummy sweetness. When I ate one and then three more, B and I agreed that they didn't even need sugar because they were so yummy. Of course we had to do some fast talking to keep the Berry Man on the swing set.  Thank you to our neighbors for sharing their bountiful crop!

*Snack size Oreo McFlurry - this is a perfect size of my favorite combination of cookie and ice cream. I can also buy one for my daughter and then she can have her own instead of eating mine. 

So far I haven't had a tummy ache so I think I have dodged the bullet. Soon we will move into raspberry season... can't wait!

Yeah Daddy!

Daddy put the two air-conditioners in tonight with NO swearing!!!  Yeah Daddy!

Oh my.

Here is the kitty helping to clean up the youngest's attempt at
helping out.

Cinematic Inspiration

Today I spent a few hours watching movies. 'Robin Hood' in the theater and 'Young Victoria' at home. Both movies contained a love story. I think those are always my favorite types of movies. A story about two people loving each other.

I also like learning more about someone or something in the movies I watch. After each movie today - I felt compelled to look to see what I could read about each character and time period. There is so much we don't know about Robin Hood but that hasn't stopped many authors writing about him. Also I have always wondered what Prince Albert must have been like to have such a powerful woman as a wife in that time. Now I am excited to find out more about each of them.

If I get a book completed soon on any of these subjects - I will try to write a little review here. Get you excited about the England of my past.

Until then - go see these movies. Call me if we are close and I may watch with you.

In my World

In my world...
...the mechanic would come to my house to check my car once a month.
...the train would get me where-ever I wanted to go.
...there would be a college kid in my neighborhood that would be available to help me with the kids
...the maid would be reliable and do a great job
...my family would live close enough to stop by for the evening
...I would own a few horses
...I could stay up until 2a and not be tired the next morning
...food would always taste good

That is the way it goes

I have not had much interest in reading lately.  I think the culprit is that I am not able to relax enough to 'get into' the book. Another part of the equation could be that once I start reading a book - it is hard for me to want to stop.
I have started watching 'Bones' on Netflix. I have one more episode until I am done with Season 2. I absolutely love this show. The gross parts aren't too gross and I love a mystery.

So maybe once my kids are a little older - I will get into reading a little more regularly.
Until then - I can watch as much Netflix as I want!

Water Play

B had a few shots today to be Kindergarten ready. Then she did so well with her shots that she and her brother both got to pick a prize.  They both picked turtles.

I was so proud of B - she didn't even cry. Unlike her mother who was almost ready to do that part for her.

Eloise Butler Wildflower Garden

We celebrated Mothers Day with a walk through 'the garden'. It is one
of my most favorite places in Mpls.
Today we shared the garden with many other people and while it was
good to see, I knew we weren't going to see the woodchuck today.

Breezy Beautiful Spring Day

My 5.8 year old and our beautiful flowering tree.
Kindergarten round-up is this week.

Funny how time flies when your having fun...

Wake up!

This morning I was kissed awake by my cheerful son.
'Wake Up Mommy!'
When I didn't get out of bed right away - he soon became bored and was walking around the room.
Soon I heard - 'Mommy - I have your onesie!'
Then he handed me my bra.
'Thanks Sweetheart'
'Welcome Mommy'

Our Evening

Most Friday nights we eat dinner with our neighbors that live across the street.  Tonight was no different. After much dialogue and off topic conversation - we decided on McD's Playland. This decision was made mostly to comfort the eldest after it was mentioned as a possibility. 

We made it through dinner only being asked twice if we were going to go play now. Finally MD said he would take B and they were off. D and I sat for a few minutes longer while I tried to get him to eat some of his dinner. Of course - after telling him umpteen times to eat this bit of nugget - he knocks the nugget onto the floor. Now I had to try to convince him that he shouldn't go down on the floor to retrieve it. Ugh. No luck with that but at least he didn't try to eat it.

D-man and I finally made it into the play area and B and D ran around for a bit.

At one point MD and I were sitting in the loud, very stinky room and I hear what I thought was water dripping.  When I found the source - I was relieved to see it was just a little girl cleaning up some spilled drink on the second floor of the structure.  But the funny part for me was when the woman sitting underneath that second floor looked up then down on the floor and said 'Was that puke?'  Fortunately we were able to tell her it wasn't but she still looked like she was going to be sick.

Hopefully we won't have to go back anytime soon.

Sunday Evening here already?

I don't know if my summer has filled up this quickly before.
We aren't even through April and July weekends are gone.

Summer goes so fast as it is and we still want to work in more camping and house projects. I told MD that we were going to have to plan to do house projects during the week and then play on the weekend.

I think we have all been suffering from the pollen explosion today. We are all experiencing rough throats and a little bit of wheeze. Lovely. 

MD cleaned out the gutters of all the maple crap and we were both surprised by the cloud of mosquitoes that he scared up. Yuck. Hopefully they were blown to Crystal and we won't see them again.

I have decided to give up soda in the morning. I suffered the first week - but last week was better with my morning coffee. MD helped me research a one cup coffee solution since that is all I want in the morning and that should be arriving this week. I am quite excited about that.

Our tent is also arriving this week. Its a long story but we should see a Half Dome 2 Plus on Wednesday. I am excited!

Have a Happy Monday!

Yep. She is growing.

What do you think. Does she have one more year wearing this super cute
outfit?

A little bit of wild in our backyard

My daughter the herpetologist?

B was out in the woods this weekend and found the friendly little guy below.
I wasn't there but I guess she was sad that she had to leave him in the woods.
But really... I don't know this was a 'boy' snake and B would probably insist the snake was a girl... such is our on-going conversation about gender.

Get ready for a flashback to the early 90s!

I just showed this picture to MD and said 'I WAS cute back then!'
I think I might have to consider going 'red' again.

I think this was my Junior Year in College at Luther. But it could have been my sophomore year. It is kind of funny to look at the other people in the photo.
I don't know that I remember this day but it looks like a football game on a nice Fall day.

Checking out Tents

Tonight's Singing

I just wanted to make a note that tonight's singing was really good.
I hoped that our new choir director would really push us vocally and help us become a better choir and he has done that already. 

I really believe that this change came at a good time for our group.

I am excited for the future.

Tents...

We are still undecided.
Ugh.

I was thinking about the times my Sis and I + friends slept in the 'Army Tent'. I think if I got within 20 paces of that tent - I would smell it and it could be my 'Somewhere in Time' moment.

Dad - was it really an army tent or navy? Where did we get that?

2-person or 3-person? Need Help!

We have a BWCAW trip planned for this summer.
The last time we went - we had a hard time finding a spot at camp sites big enough for our tent.  So we are in the process of researching tents.

Since MD bought me my fun little MacBook - researching has become much easier for the two of us information freaks.  We are both sitting here at the dining room table - talking back and forth about different tents - watching the demo videos a few seconds apart - I love it. Now all we need is a white space on a wall and a projector to share.

To started our research of course on REI's website.
We love REI. 3-person tents, less than $300, 2-doors on either side, less mesh is better... all those fun things that make a tent special.  We weren't having any luck! So we just switched tonight to looking at 2-person tents and even expanded our search to Target and Wal-Mart (didn't find anything worth noting at Target or Wal-mart).

There was one tent we looked at called the Hubba Hubba tent. It is listed as a 2 person tent but it was so narrow that I realized why it got its name.
Some of the other tents have cute reviews. 2-person tents are really made for couples or people that are okay with being close. One guy said that he really liked this particular tent but he had to send it back to REI because it really wasn't a 2-person tent unless you ate your mate before you retired for the evening. Funny stuff.

On Wal-Mart's website you can search for your tent by color. Because that is important to Wal-Mart shoppers I guess.

Poor MD - he really likes the REI Taj but the fly pretty much blows. There is no vestibule and from the reviews we have read it is a b*tch to get out. So no Taj.
I am leaning at this moment towards the Half Dome 2 Plus. Not much room - but the price is right and the parts I want are there.

MD just declared that we are going to have to go to an REI store to actually sit in these buggers before we buy. Should be fun with the runts. Maybe we can see if a certain Aunt and Uncle would be willing to watch them for an hour or two.

Okay - it is time to sleep on it.
If you have a backpacking tent you love - please share any thoughts in the comments. We have until the 18th to use a 20% discount on any tents at REI that aren't already discounted - so don't dawdle!

Project 1 of 4 completed!!!

Yes! Our almost 80 year old sink survived an overhaul today. No more
leaks and a smooth delivery of water. Thank you Honey!! I'm buying
dinner!!

Finally

Yes!
New Templates have arrived.
Fun stuff.
I will play more with this later.
Have a wonderful Friday.

A new piece of artwork

B freehanded this tonight. Wow.

Ah Crap.

So how vague can I be and still keep you engaged in this conversation?
I have had this issue that has BUGGED me over the last two weeks. 
It has really brought out my not-so-nice side. (Yes, I do have this side.)
I don't want to share details but writing about it helps me move on.

So you decide when you want to stop reading and come back tomorrow for cute stories about the kids. ;)

So this issue centers around me being judged. No one likes to be judged, right? Especially when the rules aren't clear.
So when this happened to me - I jumped to judging everyone else but one person in particular.  Now this person hadn't done anything wrong - in fact - I like this person. But what it boils down to and I finally admitted to myself today is that I think I am better.

Seriously, I can't believe that I think this because I think I am a nice, considerate, thoughtful person but in this situation - I don't think so. Now that I have admitted this to myself - I wondered if I portrayed that behavior. I am sure I come off as self righteous to some people some of the time. But really what I hope is that I come off as kind of a crank - but a helpful crank at my worst times and as a helpful, goofy, sarcastic nerd at my best times. But not self righteous. Ugh.

So I think I still need to have a conversation, at the very least with myself, to really look at what I want to do with my life and stop comparing what I am doing to what others are doing.  Mainly because I don't know what they are doing and comparing myself to them isn't going to help me become a better person or work harder - I need to compare myself to a known and that is me.

Well - we made it to the end together. I am feeling better about this already. Thanks for sticking in there and listening to me. I am sure most of the people reading this post know what I am talking about already because I have had lengthy conversations with you (Mom/Dad) about this. :)  I so appreciate both of you.

Take care of yourselves and remember not to take yourself too seriously because really we are only on this earth for a short time. So hug someone you love and tell them that you love them today.

Oh yeah. Wear Green today! It's my birthday!!

The clumsy klutzy things we do

Oh poor B.
She had a rough time at Festival today.
Festival is a local grocery that is actually a pretty nice store. They bag your groceries and have a pretty good selection of food.

B decided for some reason to go over to a display of Dr Pepper. It was 12 packs stacked up in a pyramid formation. I had my back to her and heard this noise and couldn't figure out what it was and my next thought was 'oh crap - where are my kids?'. I don't know how it happened but 6 of the 12 packs ended up out of formation and one of them tore apart and cans were rolling around.  I was pretty sure we were going to have to pay for it - but a friendly Festival fellow came over with smiles and didn't say a word as he picked it up.  (Needless to say - she got a bit of a talking to and was pretty upset about it.)

So then we were walking not 10 feet away and 5 minutes later, B grabs a container of grape tomatoes and knocks another container off the display. Container opens and sprays little round tomatoes in a 5 foot radius and we are all standing there shocked.  MD starts to pick them up and decides that we do need to buy this mistake and B gets a talking to again. D - who is in the back of the cart - starts saying that Sis needs to sit in the cart with him just by coincidence but she wasn't going to do that.

The problem was that she almost tried to pull something off of the shelf again and didn't knock anything off but I was surprised she didn't learn her lesson.
We did get through the rest of the store without incident.  Although the kids and I went out early and MD said he forgot he was supposed to pay until the bagger reminded him. Whoopsie!

Otherwise we had a wonderful day. New microwave in the kitchen. First one we have ever purchased new so I am excited!

P.S. Happy Daylight Saving Time!!

And we're back

MD is safely back at home and we immediately fit him into the night-time routine.

B is asleep and MD just informed me that we are headed that way as well.
I thought I would have more time to write but I am tired. So I will write more another time.

Night!

Both kids asleep
Finishing up my Adult Beverage
Wanting to watch a movie but I think I am too tired...

It has been a long day.
I think I am heading to sleepy-town.

Night!

Anudder One

Super Cute!!

Blogging is so 2009

But I like to blog!

I like telling the world wide web and my nose is sore because I have rubbed a kleenex on it so much today.

Not much to add to that really.
I took some video of B and D singing at the top of their lungs.
But the computer I load the camera stuff onto was busy tonight so I will do that another time.

Crazy - crazy week.
Work review tomorrow.
Work on Saturday.
Ugh.

Happy Thursday - really?
I am so messed up on days.

Not too bad - if I do say so myself

Tonight I got to make dinner.
MD had a concert this afternoon so at about 1p, I asked what was for dinner.
'Not sure' was the response which wasn't what I was hoping.

We had pasta, hamburger, onion, and a half block of cheese for sure - so at about 4p, I started looking for a recipe. 

Can I say that I HATE looking for a recipe to match the ingredients on hand? Websites were not helpful and the cookbooks didn't even have many ground beef mashup receipes. 

So I finally found a Taco Beef Skillet recipe. (Note - I would rather not use both the oven and stove top if necessary, so that made it harder to find said receipe.)

Okay - by this time - my gb was mostly brown so I found my taco seasoning packet and put that in with the water. As it was beginning to boil - I took down the Minute Rice and discovered that we only had one cup and I needed two. Figures! 

I made a decision  - after searching to see what the equivalent is when you swap rice and pasta and couldn't find anything - to just use the same amt of pasta and wing it.

15 minutes later at (5:30p!)with cheese on top - it turned out pretty yummy.
B even said it tasted like Hamburger Helper!

I am going back for seconds!

Update on the coat situation

Sorry Mom - this will be old news...

So I think I have spent at least 20 hours searching for a winter coat online.  The bad thing about the whole thing is that I know what I want. My normal way of shopping is to say 'eeny meeny miney moe' which color do I like best today.  Well... I guess it is a little more involved than that - it does need to fit - but I don't like to search and search. So this coat search has been more involved than usual.

I want a coat - down or synthetic insulation - with a insulated attached hood - long enough to cover my buns - and not some nasty color or pattern.  So I have checked LL Bean, Lands End, REI, BackcountryOutlet.com all online. Plus I have searched REI's Maple Grove and Bloomington stores.  I have found some possibilities but nothing I have fallen in love with.

I almost made a decision yesterday to buy a down filled parka from LL Bean but I wasn't crazy about the color and I wasn't sure I could wear the size that was available.  So I hemmed and hawed about it for half a day and after I showed MD the coat - I thought - yeah - for the price, I can't go wrong with this.  So I started clicking back to the coat and when I got there.....  wait for it..... it was SOLD OUT!!!  Argghhhhh.

Oh well. You know if I couldn't make it happen - it wasn't made to be.
I have to let it go.

The only problem is that I will probably have to start my search all over again.
That is just my luck sometimes but its okay. Half the fun is looking for it when you know exactly what you want.

If you are in the Upper Midwest tomorrow - enjoy your last sub-zero temps of the winter...
At least that is what the weatherman said this morning. Let's not jinx it.

'The Beach'

Here are those pictures of the kids going to 'The Beach'.
Pretty Cute - Huh?
Hope you are finding ways to get ready for summer as well.

Its Tuesday

It is a nice day here in the North Country. I was just out getting some lunch and I think it was about 30 degrees and sunny. Now as I sit at my desk and look outside - I am getting excited about Spring coming.

B & D have a new game they like to play. It is called 'Beach'. They get into their swimsuits, get the beach towels all spread out in the hardwood living room floor, and then make their way to the bathroom to get their 'sunscreen' on. It is about the cutest thing I have seen. I did get pictures the other day so I will try to get them off the camera and posted here soon.

MD and I were looking at our calendar for the summer and how we are going to fit in all the house projects we would like to do. It is filling up fast. We are planning a trip to the BWCAW, a weekend at MD's brother's house for our camping weekend with his entire family, a few weekends traveling to each of parent's homes... it is going to go fast.

MD, B, and I watched the Opening Ceremonies on Friday night but we haven't watched any of the Olympics since! I told B that men's figure skating was on tonight and she was very excited. So I guess we are going to have to get that on tonight.  I am listening to the updates from the radio while I commute - but it isn't the same - obviously.

My lunch 1/2 hour is almost up so I should get back to it.
Happy Fat Tuesday!

Turn It Up!

Growing up, I listened to the radio lots. My favorite station was K104. I remember listening to the top 10 on Sunday's with Casey Kasem in the car while my parents were in church at coffee fellowship, making mix tapes, and even calling in one time to win something. (I didn't... )

At some point - I stopped listening to popular radio. It must have been college. I was getting lots of new music from all the new people I was meeting. I remember listening to the Red Hot Chili Peppers in my freshman dorm room and just dancing around and singing at the top of my lungs. Good stuff.

I have started listening to popular music on the radio again. I never had stopped listening to NPR/MPR but recently I have decided I don't need to listen to in depth stories about Iraq, Republicans, or Crime. I did hear some interesting discussion on the space program recently - which was inspiring but also a little depressing. But I digress.

So now when we drive to daycare in the morning - B wants to listen to Greg and Melissa on 94.5. Really? Okay - because so do I. Today they were playing with an iPhone app that uses Auto Tune. One of the producers - Trey? - sang a song that he dedicated to all the ladies. It was pretty funny.

My other outlet for new music is Pandora.com. I have found a couple of new artists that I am excited to learn more about. I hate to say it but I like Jordin Sparks.  'Just for the Record' and 'No Air' are two of my favorites right now.

Okay - I am off to jam with my headphones on and the music turned up!

I shoveled out the entry to the street tonight. It wasn't too bad because the snow hadn't had time to melt and freeze together.

So far my plan to be mindful about winter and not go through it with my head in the snow - so to speak - is going pretty well. I have been shopping online for a new winter coat for about a month. REI and BackcountryOutlet have some good choices but I really just want to go to the store and try some on.  I have probably missed my window for this season because they have to get the spring stuff out even though there are two more months of snow. (I HATE that.)

I spoke to a co-worker today that was on vacation in Mexico last week. I could really go for a week vacation somewhere warm. Too bad it costs money to get there, be there, and come home.

I think I need to start myself on a project. We really need to start thinking about getting a deep freeze, painting the kitchen and back entry, and cleaning out the garage.

Alrighty. Time to get the eldest ready for bed.

Itchy Foot

We had a good day today. It was a day that I didn't think about what I was going to do next - I was just busy.I got some organizing done, had a gyro for lunch (my new favorite fast food meal), went to Como Zoo with lots of other people with the same good idea, and had some conversation time with my In-laws and MD's sibs/kids.  Good Times.

Como Zoo was actually an interesting trip. Like I said earlier - it was packed but it didn't feel like it in the zoo part. We were there fairly late in the day so maybe everyone was leaving as we were moving through.

We saw the lions and the male actually put on quite a show for us with some roaring and then the female was running around the room. Won't be surprised if there is a new little cub in a few months.

We also watched a very large gorilla. He was laying down with his buns pressed up against the window itching his foot. He scared D. I think one of his fingers was as big as three of my fingers. It is fascinating to see this amazing creatures so up close and personal but I always have this nagging feeling about caging living things for their entire lives when they should be in 'the wild'. It is especially hard for me to see the gorillas caged up. I always hope they are well taken care of.  Makes me wonder if they are pondering the meaning of life.

No Shadows!!

Snow. It's Feb 1st and I am sick of snow.
February makes me wish I lived in Cancun, Costa Rica, or Casablanca!!
I need a sun bath with some humidity and dirt smell thrown in for good measure.

This weekend was a bit of a bust. We are all so stir-crazy that it was hard to try to find things to do to keep everyone out of trouble. Maybe we will have to get creative this weekend. I MAY have to break out the big guns and go to the Y and put the kids in Kids Stuff so they can play and blow off some steam.

My church choir is currently in the process of 'calling' a new choirmaster. Choir Director + Organist + all around nice person that can put up with a choir that is pretty good but a little rowdy at times.  I am looking forward to seeing what our options are this weekend.

My toes are cold.

I think I may go warm up some more Chinese and watch a BSG episode. MD has decided he doesn't want to watch the last season. I don't think I can just blow it off... So hopefully I don't get let down.

Did you know you can sign up and get a text tomorrow to be notified of Punxsy Phil's prediction?  Hope the Groundhog will be my hero tomorrow and NOT see his shadow. Come on Punxsy Phil!!!

Ready for the Weekend

Happy Friday

Waiting...

B went pretty willingly with the teacher to do her screening. I am
sitting in a hallway waiting for her to finish.

She just came out and now we are waiting for the nurse.

T....G....I.....F

Really.
I am so ready for the weekend.

We are getting ready for some really nasty weather. Thank goodness the freezing rain didn't amount to much so far but we will have to keep our fingers crossed for the next two days. 

I keep meaning to write on here that I saw a robin in the front yard this week. Yes folks - a robin. I think it must be wondering what the hell is going on.  Maybe global warming is screwing with migration now.

We have a big week this week. Berit goes to the dentist and Early Childhood screening. We have to get our registration in for school by the 31st as well. So lots of stuff to do.

I think I am going to go crack a beer, start up Netflix, and do some laundry folding.

Here is a picture of my grand-pup - Nuzzle. So sweet.

A Few Tears

Tired.
It was an emotionally draining day today. Our Choirmaster's last day was today. Of course I had to cry through most of the last two songs but I think most of us did.

I am really sad to see him go but now that it has had time to set in - I am excited and hopeful for the future.

Thank you Scott for all you gave to St Pauls. I wish you the best!

Artistic Elf

We woke up this morning to the trees all painted with frost. It was beautiful.
I thought about how much I love Jack Frost and that it is one of the things about winter that is beautiful.
I was talking with B about Jack Frost and I was wondering to myself what the history is with this character.
Unfortunately I haven't had any extra time to do a little research - so maybe that will be another post.

During this conversation - B asked me if Summer came after Winter and I said yes - but that Spring was in between.  She then told me that Christmas and Spring are her favorite seasons. Christmas for obvious reasons but Spring because of all the flowers coming up and the warmer weather. I told her that those were my favorite seasons as well.

Nanna Can You Hear Me?

What doin?

Sometimes I think I could sit in my chair and watch tv & movies until sunrise.
I found this really fun TV show set in Australia about two step-sisters that I just love to watch - though it does make me want to move out of the city.
It is called 'McLeod's Daughters'.
If you have Netflix - you can stream it.

B watched an episode with me last week and it centered around shearing sheep. Unfortunately one of the sheep was injured during the episode so she fixated on that but i really enjoyed it.

In other news... We attended the School Choice Fair this morning. Our wonderful neighbors watched the kidlets for us while we made our way down to a downtown hotel to make life changing decisions.

I have been disappointed by the lack of before and after care up here on the Northside. Mpls has a program in other areas of the city called 'Minneapolis Kids' and for whatever reason - economic, demand, whatever - they don't have any sites on the Northside. Now our neighborhood school does have a program with some kids in it (>25) (that we will can hopefully utilize) which is affiliated with the park board but I am not sure why it isn't a part of the Mpls Kids program. So some research will be needed to figure that out.

Trying to find information about school choice has been a bit frustrating as well. We didn't know anything about the transportation changes that happened in Mpls and trying to learn more about them did take some digging. Maybe with the advent of the internet - though we have more information at our fingertips - that just means that we have more crap to sift through to get to the meat of the issue. Or is it the difference to living in the city compared to living in the small town. When I was growing up - you didn't make a choice. It was based on where you lived and that was it.

Ah - D.man is making noise. I should go see what is up. 
Till next time - get that Netflix membership going and tell me how you like 'McLeod's Daughters'

City Morning

This is my random thought for the day: The only problem with a nice long vacation away from work is that when I come back - I usually have a headache because I am not used to sitting in front of the computer for so many hours. At least that is what I tell myself. Though vacations are never fully computer free.

Driving in this morning was different from other mornings...
B went to the dentist with MD this morning. She was pretty upset about it. Even took soft blankie which has been lying on her bed for months.  Hopefully they will get her comfortable and it won't be too much of an issue.
All the way to daycare this morning - the D-man kept asking where his sister was and where did she go?
Sometimes I can't believe I have so much patience for the same question being asked 54.3 times.

After I dropped the kid off at daycare - I was cranking up 104.1 and heard 'talk dirty to me' and 'destination unknown' which bring me right back to being younger. I couldn't remember when each song was popular but I can sing all the words which is sometimes scary because then you realize what you were singing back then and how could your parents stand it?!

Just before I got to work - I noticed a woodpecker on one of the square telephone poles - yes it was square - and just looked it up to be sure and YES - it was a pileated woodpecker! FUN! kind of. It always makes me a little sad to see cool nature in the city.

Okay - I better crack into the caffiene before I fall asleep back here.
Happy Wednesday.

Done

Finished
Completed

440 rows of handpainted yarn is now tied in some beautiful knots.

Now what can I knit next that won't take 3 months.

New D-isms

'Help Me Mom'
'What Doing?'
'Where's Daddy going?'
'Are we there yet?'
'What's This Mom?'

Having a 2 year old around is fun.

Bad Mom comes to mind

My eldest should be very happy she has two wonderful Grandmas.
My Mom gave her a necklace that hasn't been removed from around her neck except at night-time and among other homemade and interesting finds, made her a scarf she likes to wear even through it is blue and not pink.

MD's mom bought her 'Swim to Me Puppy'. This was a toy that she REALLY wanted last year and after I read the reviews about it, I decided that it was a bad toy. But wouldn't you know that it worked last night when she put it in the tub, so bad Mommy.

Oh well. Now she has a story to tell her kids about how bad her Mom was.

Happy Birthday Young Man!