A New Tradition

It seems that we've started a new tradition. Seven families came together at Lake Delta for a weekend of togetherness and all that it entails -- boats, beach, s'mores, swimming, delicious dinners, chasing children. It was wild and fun and stressful at times, but the point was that we were together again -- a group of terrific women, their patiently and wisely chosen husbands, and their delightful children. Even the infamous rubber chicken joined us for his second annual Memorial Day vacation.

Hopefully we'll be able to pull this off again next year -- and much thanks are due to the organizers in the group, as well as to our dear hostess.

So it's back home now and back to normal, if you can call it that. We've got another couple of hectic weeks ahead of us and then hopefully we'll be able to reach a more peaceful, summery pace.

Which Classic Literary Female Character Are You?

Of course.

(thanks to pdxkatie for the link)

Toad's Birthday

Toad's Third Birthday Celebration began with sharing Tofutti Cuties with his class at school. Friday night we hosted a Toy Story party at home, complete with yummy take-out from "Pizza Planet" and a cake with the three Pizza Planet Aliens. Toad received lots of wonderful gifts, including a super cool big wheel and a little piano. Aunt J also gave him a tree of his own to plant in the back yard. Gma & Gpa A came to spend the weekend, too!

We invited some of Toad's buddies from school to a Batman picnic at the park Saturday. Despite a brief rain shower, the kids had a great time, and paused just long enough for this cute photo.

New Best Friend

Last Saturday, after a very fun birthday party for school chum and wild boy Daniel, we took Toad to the new Space Aliens restaurant -- much like Pizza Planet from Toy Story. We loaded up on tokens and played all sorts of fun games. Hammer Guy tried his luck at The Claw and actually scored the much-desired Batman after only four tries. Toad and Batman have been inseparable ever since.

On Sunday, Mother's Day, I received a very special gift from Toad, who bid a fond farewell to Pull-Ups! It's been a very successful week, at school, at home, and even out in public! Hooray!

Toad's Week

Cookbook Recommendation -- great recipes and fun pictures!

It's been another busy week.

Saturday we took Toad to Menards. We picked out bird feeders for my Mother's Day gift and Sunday morning Toad and Hammer Guy saw yellow finches. I have yet to see a bird alight but judging by the diminishing feed and the items left behind, somebody's visiting!

Sunday after I got home from work, Hammer Guy and his friend Kyle brewed the Saucy Fellow ESB. Toad was thrilled to see Kyle and they had a lot to discuss. The brew session went well.

Monday Toad and I went to the SE side of the Cities to visit dear friend "London" (sometimes Toad mixes up her name), who had back surgery last Friday. Toad helped pick out soup, bread, dessert, and flowers at Byerly's and we brought lunch from Chipotle. We had a great time at her "teeny tiny house" and we wish her a speedy recovery! We also visited Grandma & Grandpa B and had a lot of fun exploring the backyard.

T & W were back to normal, but today we're having a sick day after a very rough night (although to put things in perspective, not nearly as rough as many nights in the past). I will go into work after HG gets home.

It's been a rainy, dreary week and today is very cool. Yesterday I wasted two hours at the doctor only to be told that I need to return to the podiatrist, as my foot is not healing as quickly as hoped.

We're looking forward to Mother's Day weekend, especially because I don't have to work. Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms in my life. Your advice, inspiration, and encouragement are much appreciated.

Sweet Corn Cake Miracle

Toad ate a vegetable. He actually ate a vegetable. Granted, it was just creamed corn in a highly-disguised form, but it worked! This stuff is great -- it's super easy, (somewhat) low-cal, and tasty -- just like what you would get at your favorite Mexican restaurant.

Even though Chi-Chi's restaurants have all but vanished, we still have our memories and our Sweet Corn Cake Mix.

Four Days of Rain

It's been rainy and grey for so many days. It seems like the rain will never end. Sadly, it is quite fitting. Last Friday I learned that a dear friend from work had passed away, and I'm reminded of the Stevie Ray Vaughan song that mourns, "the sky is crying."

Jean was an amazing woman of great energy and compassion. She was nearly 75 years old and still worked full-time. She could run circles around all of us, worked so hard, and was unbelievably nice to our guests, even the rude ones. Our Gifts department will never be the same.

A few memories of our dear Jean: Her nails and make-up were always in place and impeccable. When she had something important to say, she would grab your arm and squeeze for emphasis. I'm always cold, so the warmth of her fingers was welcome. One of my favorite memories of Jean is the day she told a customer to just chill out when he pitched a fit about being asked for his phone number at the register. She could make a mean Snicker Bar Salad and was always so generous when we had any sort of pot lucks or events at the store.

Family was Jean's top priority, no question. She loved her three kids and all her grandchildren so much. She talked about them often and brought in pictures and articles. One of her daughters came to the store with her three kids from time to time; when I met the others today, I felt like I already knew them. They lost their mom so quickly -- I hope they are able to find peace soon.

One thing Jean taught me that I will never forget and I try to put into practice: never walk past someone you know (or maybe you don't know) without greeting them. It drove her nuts when employees would come to work in the morning and walk past her -- or any one of us -- without acknowledging her. She had a kind heart. Her sudden passing has stunned and saddened so many who knew and loved her.

The rain continues. I'm surrounded by the sounds of my very happy boys singing at the dinner table. I think back on my terrific day at the Loft and Minnesota Book Awards Saturday, and I know it's time to really get serious about my writing, my passion. I can't let another day slip away.

I Wanna Rock (Rock!)

We spent the weekend at Grandma & Grandpa A's in Wisconsin. We went to a wedding reception, did some shopping, and visited Toad's Great-Grandparents in La Crosse. Toad's favorite part of the trip was getting to spend time with G & G, Auntie L and the big dog Peanut. A highlight of any visit to WI is being able to play with the "guitar" -- here's Toad rocking out on the porch.

We're glad to be home and settling back into our routine. Hammer Guy is on Week Two of his new job. It's long days and hard work and the new schedule will take some getting used to, but he's even more certain that he made the right decision. Now, if I could just get someone to pay me for staying home to write the next Great American YA novel....

This weekend is the Festival of Children's Literature at the Loft Literary Center in Mpls and the Minnesota Book Awards. I'm really looking forward to both.

Happy Un-Birthday

Last Wednesday, Auntie A hosted a Pizza Extravaganza for the two May boys. The CT Cousins were in town, so we took the opportunity to wish Toad and Cousin T a very Happy Un-Birthday! The baseball cupcakes were super cute!

First Field Trip

Toad and I attended his very first Field Trip as a preschooler. SBS went to the Minnesota Zoo on Tuesday. Even though we did not get to ride the bus, Toad had a wonderful time. His favorites were the dolphins that splashed, tigers, the snake skeleton, and the fish. We even got to see a diver feed the fish. He was very loud and wore a blue scuba suit! It was a gorgeous day -- lots of sun, a refreshing breeze, and no bugs! We had a picnic lunch in the sunshine. Toad was thrilled to be a part of the field trip with the teachers and the big kids.

Bok Bok. Thanks, Easter Bunny!

The Easter weekend was full of fun and family. Saturday Toad helped with the final version Bunny Cake and helped dye Easter Eggs, although he tired of it after five eggs. We hosted Easter for my side of the family -- roughly 25 people. The food, wine, beer, and radiant smiles were plentiful and a good time was had by all.

Bunny Cake

Toad helped decorate the practice Bunny Cake on Sunday (we're hosting Easter this year). He loves to help out in the kitchen.

The weather was beautiful and Toad and Hammer Guy got lots of outdoor playtime.

I've been upgraded to 6-hour days and a post-op shoe that I've been wearing around the house. I'll keep wearing the big boot to work.

We're looking forward to having all the family home for Easter -- we'll be celebrating in Wisconsin next weekend.

Hacienda del Sol

No visit to Duluth is complete without huevos rancheros and a visit with M & M at Hacienda.

Once in a Lifetime Thousand-Footer

Okay, so it was only 730 feet.

The Halifax
Wednesday, April 5th
Duluth, Minnesota

Beautiful Day

Imagine this: a tranquil Wednesday morning, 10 a.m. The sun glistens on a vast, still Lake Superior -- there is not even a breeze on this morning. The air is crisp, clean, restorative. We wander alongside the rocky shore on the Lakewalk, greeting early-morning walkers. Everyone is friendly here. A woman wearing pearls wheels her pampered, elderly poodle along in a wheelchair. A woman in a kayak glides along without effort. We are fortunate for such a perfect morning.

Me Gusta La Leche

Last night I read in the Montessori newsletter that Senora Liliana is teaching the kids how to use "me gusta" (I like). Toad really digs his Spanish class, so I asked him, "Can you say "I like milk" in Spanish? He replied (quite loudly), "I LIKE MILK IN SPANISH." He is Funny Pants IV, that's for sure.

Great news: It's official, Hammer Guy has a new job! He gave his notice Monday morning. On the 17th of April, he will start as the Supervisor of Engineering Services at a local utility company. He's thrilled to be taking his career in a new direction. To celebrate, our good friends Mike & Beth took us out Sunday (thanks for babysitting, Aunt J) to Claddagh Irish Pub. The food, the drink, the atmosphere, the company -- all wonderful. Check it out: www.claddaghirishpubs.com

Fly High Duluth

Toad sings. A lot. All the time. When he's not talking, he's singing. One of his current faves is "Fly High Duluth" from SNL. Here's one of many photos we took of him while he belted it out at the dinner table.

Not Much to Report

There hasn't been too much excitement around the house since the bowling party. We celebrated my birthday quietly. Hammer Guy and I went out to lunch that day with my parents and then hit Caribou and Borders.

Update on my foot -- I saw a specialist last week and the good news is, no surgery. The bad news (which is also the good news, in a way!) is that I am down to four hour days at work. Today, for example, I go in at six p.m., which, to someone who has worked 45-55 hours a week for much of their career, seems like a colossal waste of time. Happily, I am reading book after book, submitting short stories to lit mags, and working on my YA novel. More bad news: my back was finally getting better after my car accident(s) and now I'm back up to three visits to the chiro a week!

Got any book recommendations? Send them my way!

Bowling Birthday Surprise!

Sunday Aunt J threw a surprise 40th birthday party for Aunt A. Everyone except Toad (and me with my broken foot) exhibited stellar bowling performances. Here are some snaps of the festive event, which was followed by dinner and cake at J's house.

My Left Foot

Saturday night at work I fell into a recess in the floor of a semi trailer and broke my left foot in two places (metatarsal fractures, in case you were wondering). I drove myself to the ER and back and am now the proud owner of a boot that looks like something out of Darth Vader's closet. The swelling is finally starting to go down, but my entire foot is one big purple bruise. Today I can actually put some weight on the foot, but getting around is still a challenge. I've never had a broken bone before and hopefully never will again!