Pure Joy

We hosted our 8th Annual Super Bowl party on Sunday and after a few heart-stopping moments (such as the touchdown scored by the Bears on the opening kick-off), the Colts' victory brought me -- and many anti-Bears and/or Peyton Manning fans -- such joy. For the first time in years I was actually able to sit down and watch quite a bit of the game. The weather was horrible but several of our die-hard friends made it over and the party was great. The kids ran around and got wild and scattered toys all over the house, the adults enjoyed tasty treats and beverages, Prince played Purple Rain (my favorite Prince song), and the Colts won. What more could I ask for?

It's already been a long week. I've been trying to take it easy at work and that's helping. Last night, though, I wiped out on the stairs and landed on my tail bone.

Just a few more weeks till Baby -- Toad helped me with the baby's laundry last night and tonight we'll do bedding. He's getting very excited. He talks to the baby, kisses and hugs my belly, and wants to help out as much as possible. Today we had an amazing drop-off at preschool. We were about 15 minutes late and all the other kids were already in the circle. He took off all his winter gear, gave me a quick hug and a kiss, and then walked into the main classroom area, very carefully holding onto the tambourine he'd brought for the sound of the week basket so that it wouldn't make a lot of noise while his teacher was talking. He set it in the basket gently, then walked all the way around the circle until he found a spot, sat down and crossed his legs, and finally looked up at me and waved goodbye. I almost started crying. What a little man.

We're trying to figure out childcare and other financial bits once Baby arrives and we've toyed with the idea of reducing Toad's time at preschool. He loves it so much, though, that that thought of that just about breaks my heart.

It will all work out somehow, I guess.

A Day of Rest

With just over six weeks to go until the baby's due date, I've started to swell. I mean swell. It's been a good week since I've seen my ankles bones. Yesterday I had a bit of a blood pressure issue, so after working until 10 o'clock last night (which did not help with the swelling), I took a sick day today.

And I slept. I crawled back into bed at 9:30 and slept for hours. It's been years since I've been able to do that. And when I woke up and had a second breakfast, some of the swelling had gone down -- hurray.

Sunday is our 8th annual Super Bowl party -- the crowd is going to be smaller this year. The weather is supposed to be brutal, as in, don't go out if you absolutely don't have to! To all our friends who can't make it this year -- you will definitely be missed!

Just read: America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money. Good suggestions for getting rid of debt and living within your means, but I have to say that this family of seven is pretty geeky. I've got a pile of financial and organizing-type books from the library to get through.

One more day of work to get through and then it's party prep for the weekend!

A long month

A random photo of Toad, summer '03

Where has January gone? After the craziness of the holidays, my focus shifted to two major projects at work, physical inventory on the 14th and a sales training last night. Now that those are behind me, I can concentrate on a few other projects before the baby comes.

Toad and I are working on a Valentine's box for school. We had a visit from G & G A this weekend and he and Grandma worked on a few Valentines. He loves paper punches and stamps.

The baby room is still a guest room with a full-sized bed and white walls. It needs to be cleared out and painted before we can think about putting up the crib and changing table and building the new dresser. I'm at 32 weeks and 2 days and I think the child is playing hockey in there or something. There's a lot of high sticking and elbowing going on. It's crazy to think that in less than two months we'll have a newborn in the house again. I'm not sure that we're mentally prepared for that -- but at least we have a few diapers in the house.

Hammer Guy continues to chip away at the basement, although he's been sick so he hasn't been down there as much as he would like.

What I'm reading/What I've read:

The fourth and final Traveling Pants book came out a couple of weeks ago -- Forever in Blue. I read it in a day. Not my favorite of the four, but still good.

HG wanted me to read the DaVinci Code before we see the movie (Santa brought it for him). I did. The writing style and topic aren't really my bag, but it held my interest and I'm looking forward to seeing the movie.

I've dug out some of my parenting books -- right now I'm reading The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence and The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding.

I received Alice Munro's latest book of short stories from my S-I-L Lisa for Christmas and can't wait to dive in.

Hopefully with all the projects around the house, I'll still find time for reading!

Toad's Wonderful Christmas

Toad's Snowman

Toad with Grandpa & Grandma A

Video Games with Dad

The Cutest Santa Claus

A Gift for Grandma B

Teacher Gifts and Other Delights

I've been feeling pretty crafty lately and have made several trips to Archiver's in the last few weeks. In addition to the cute sparkly button star ornaments I made for Toad's teachers, I made pastel button tree ornaments for the eight supervisors at work. Tomorrow night Toad and I will be working on his very own star, which he is going to paint red.

This past weekend Hammer Guy's parents visited. We took them to see a Christmas Carol at the new Guthrie for their anniversary. The building is sleek and modern and I found it to be a bit cold and uninviting compared to the old theater, and don't get me started about the parking fiasco. Once I got inside the thrust performance hall, though, it felt more familiar. I guess I'm a bit sentimental about it. The play was wonderful -- HG and I saw it last in 1999.

Toad and Grandma A made cookies on Saturday while I worked on the tree ornaments. Toad's were more like flour-y crumbs and he had a great time! Grandma and Grandpa A will be coming back this weekend for Christmas and there is cookie dough in the freezer for more fun!

Sick Day and Other Events

Toad had a sick day on Monday. It was my scheduled day off, so I had a big list of chores, but Toad was up in the night with a very croupy cough and he's got a nasty runny nose. So we watched a lot of Christmas movies and even though I tried to get a few things done, mostly we just rested together, which was good for me, too, since I've been feeling a bit under the weather as well.

Going back to work was hard, both physically and mentally. I worked six days in a row without a day off and am looking forward to having next weekend off, with a visit from Hammer Guy's parents.

Last Thursday night was Toad's holiday program. It started off kind of wonky.... he was right in the front row of his class of almost 3 to 5 year olds and before they sang the first song, he picked his nose and... well, you get the rest. I shook my head no to him and it looked like he was about to cry, but he recovered as soon as they started singing. Thank goodness -- last year he wouldn't stay with the group and ended up on my lap the entire program. This year he got to wear the Santa hat for "He'll be coming down the chimney." He was wonderful and participated in the entire program and then got to chat with Santa a bit after.


Toad and I dipped pretzels the other day and sprinkled them for a bit of extra holiday flair. He was very interested in shaking the little jar of sprinkles and stated, "It makes a lovely sound." Oh, how I love that boy!

Back to Reality

Tomorrow, we take another step forward as I return to the store after a three-week absence. November was terribly unreal, but we have been working to get our family routine back on track these last few days. HG returned to work and Toad returned to school after Dad's funeral but then we had a planned week of vacation, during which time we visited Wisconsin and got to meet Toad's new cousin, Rachel. We then spent a few days working around the house and preparing for Christmas. And today, I have one more day to get life back to normal before I return to work -- which means more laundry, cleaning, decorating, grocery shopping, etc.

Yesterday was a very important day -- the annual Lions Pancake Breakfast with visit to Santa Claus. It was hard for HG and me because this was one of my Dad's favorite Lions activities -- I used to come home from college for Pancake Breakfast Weekend, and since HG joined the Lions, and especially since we've had Toad, we've never missed it. I wasn't sure that I wanted to go this year, but Dad's brother Bud and his wife De were there as well as our very good friends Dana and Geoff with their two boys. And Toad was completely obsessed with Santa, of course. So it turned out to be a happy event after all, even with the absence of our wonderful Dad and Grandpa.

Here are a few pictures of some of our recent activities:

Interior and exterior views of the Votive Chapel at the

Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Frog and Toad

Hey Howdy Hey, I am Lookin' Good!

Toad was literally a "stuffed" Woody as he and HG ventured out into the cold Halloween night. We had a near-perfect evening, with Toad agreeing to wearing multiple layers (although no mittens). Because of the cold, they did not go to as many houses as last year, but Toad was more than happy to turn around and return home to see what treats were in his pumpkin. At seven o'clock the candy ran out, I turned off the lights, and we went upstairs for a bath just like any other night.

Last week Toad and I were "hiding" from HG like we do almost every night -- while we run the bath, he and I "hide" behind the shower curtain. Toad climbed on my lap, gave me a big hug, and said, "You're the mom I always wanted." There's nothing sweeter in this world.

Monday I had an ultrasound -- all is well with Toad's new baby. It is very, very wiggly, although I didn't need an ultrasound to tell me that! All the important pieces are in place.

Frog and Toad Are Cousins

Toad has a new baby cousin! On Monday, October 16, 2006, HG's sister Sara had a baby girl, Rachel. She was born at 9:18 a.m. (EST) and weighed in at 6 lbs, 11oz and is 19 3/4 inches long. We've talked to Sara and Chuck a couple of times and they're excited and anxious and exhausted, everything a new parent should be. HG and I remember those first few days with Toad.... and we survived. It's amazing how quickly the years have passed since we had a newborn in the house -- and amazing how soon we'll have another one. We're very excited that Rachel will have a cousin just five months younger. Toad is already thrilled with his role as a big brother.

More news on Miss Rachel to follow as we receive reports from Michigan.

The Great Pumpkin

Sunday was a gorgeous day to pick the perfect pumpkin.

North Shore Anniversary

Grand Marais



Palisade Head




Gooseberry Falls


We had such a beautiful weekend for our anniversary trip to Duluth, Two Harbors, and Grand Marais. Toad spent the weekend in Wisconsin. HG and I drove up early Friday morning. We spent an overcast and somewhat rainy day in Duluth, eating at our favorite restaurant, Fitgers Brewhouse. We had dinner with my sister Mary and spent some time browsing at the bookstore. We also visited some of our favorite places in Duluth -- The Blue Heron, Duluth Pack, and Canal Park.

Breakfast Saturday morning was at Betty's Pies in Two Harbors -- yum. Saturday was warm and sunny, a perfect autumn North Shore day. We drove up to Grand Marais to visit Betsy Bowen's studio and we purchased some of her work to celebrate our fifth anniversary. How appropriate that there are five chickadees. Betsy spent some time with Hammer Guy giving him tips and advice on the art of woodcut.



We had breakfast Sunday morning again at Betty's Pies (this time we saved room for their world famous pie, and it did not disappoint). The day turned out to be rainy and gray, but we stopped once again in Duluth for a few last minute items and a drive onto Park Point. This was our eight annual weekend getaway to the shore -- and I can't imagine not having this to look forward to each fall.

Happy Birthday, Dear Daddy

We celebrated Hammer Guy's birthday quietly last week with a bucket of chicken and a delicious cake. The biggest excitement of the week was Toad's new pajamas, complete with cape. If only they were magic pj's that made bedtime easier.

It's Good to Be A Bills Fan

The Bills beat the Vikings at home on Sunday and it's a great feeling. Even Bill Clinton got into the spirit of the game, hanging out with the revered Ralph Wilson. Next Sunday is the true test -- Dick Jauron returns to Soldier Field to take on the Bears.

I Am Spartacus

It's been ten years since my favorite movie of the 9os came out. I saw That Thing You Do! with T on a rainy Friday night in fall and I wanted to get back in line and watch it again. Those days of Monday through Friday office jobs and Applebee's appetizer samplers are long gone, but the memories are sweet, aren't they? I love this movie. Plain and simple, it makes me happy. Table 19, your pizza is ready.

We had an amazing family gathering at our house over the weekend to celebrate four September birthdays, including my dad's and Hammer Guy's. The food and beer were delicious, the company was great. Of the entire family, only five were missing, although Sue was able to fly home from Connecticut for the event, which was marvelous. Two days later I hosted a smallish Pampered Chef Kitchen Show, which was also a lot of fun. I think I'm done entertaining for a while, though.

We're looking forward to Hammer Guy's birthday (tomorrow) and our fifth anniversary with our annual weekend get-away. We need the time to relax and recharge.

This could have been us

Another late summer storm ripped through the area last night. An F2 tornado tore up my hometown of Rogers. This storm had passed over our house about ten minutes before it damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes. A ten-year-old girl died when the house collapsed.

The power went out at 9:47 p.m. and was out for 12 hours. We are very fortunate that we had absolutely no damage to our home, garage, or yard, and my brother's and parents' homes were spared as well. We spent a lot of time in our basement, and are feeling incredibly blessed today.

Happy Birthday to my dad

Today is my dad's 76th birthday. HG, Toad, and I are blessed to have him and my mom in our lives. We love you, Dad!

Long time, no blog!

Tonight is a big night. Tonight the members of Supernova (who will have to change their name, I've heard, because of a copyright lawsuit) selected their new lead singer. And I don't know who it is. We recorded it, as we do every Wednesday night because we never have Toad in bed by the time it's on at 7 pm, but Hammer Guy's not home yet so I'm waiting for him. Pins and needles.

Other news to report: HG picked up our 1/4 Wild season tickets tonight.

Toad officially started school last Tuesday and is off to a fine start. The sound of the week is A, a and he informed me tonight when I picked him up that he likes the skin of an apple now. We shared an apple at dinner time and guess what? He doesn't. The skin was "so, so long" and he didn't care for it.

Over Labor Day weekend, a large project commenced. HG and his dad went to Menards for supplies to start "finishing" the basement. They worked hard and got two walls up in two days. From the looks of it, this is going to be a very long project.

Work has been stressful. We're in our busy season and are very short staffed, so that makes for long days and crabby co-workers, but I'll take this over Christmas at Best Buy any day.

That's it for now.... I'll report back on my Supernova thoughts later.

Rock Star: Supernova

My history with "Reality TV" is varied. It began with The Real World (and DQ Breezes) in my college days, although I guess you could say I was a fan of Star Search a million years ago (remember when Limited Warranty won?). I never really got into American Idol. The first season of the Apprentice sucked me in but after that lost its luster. I've never cared for Survivor or shows like The Osbournes or The Newlyweds.

But Rock Star: Supernova? Now there's a show that commands attention. I missed the entire season of Rock Star: INXS, mainly because of work obligations, but also because there's a part of me that still grieves for Michael Hutchence. But I'm impressed with the "new" INXS, so I've added the Rock Star: INXS DVD to my amazon wishlist.

Not familiar with Supernova? Tommy Lee on drums, Gilby Clarke (of GNR) on guitar and geeky Jason Newsted (Metallica) on bass. Last night they rocked out with an original Supernova song fronted by Dilana, who is definitely a contender. There are only seven rockers left, including my favorite, pictured here, Magni from Iceland. He's got a great voice.

Supernova -- every Tuesday and Wednesday night on CBS.

We spent last weekend in Wisconsin, first visiting family and then made the annual trip to the Water Park with dear friends. Sadly, not many of us made it this year, and it rained a bit, but the reunion was still a sweet one.

It's a Big Wide World

Toad has a new favorite show (and so do I). It's called Peep and the Big Wide World, a cartoon about a small chicken named Peep, a robin named Chirp, and a blue duck named Quack. Each day they learn about science in everyday life, with a lot of humor and lessons about friendship thrown in. Joan Cusack narrates. Toad absolutely loves Quack, who is quite self-absorbed. He watches while I get ready in the mornings, and sometimes we end up running late because I have to sit down to see how they solve their current problem.

It's on both TLC and Discovery Kids.

More Duluth Pics

JT emailed these from our trip last week. What a great picture of Toad with the city behind him.

Monday meant back to reality.... back to work. Getting back into our normal routine has been challenging. Today I'm off and was fortunate to have the CT family over for lunch -- they're packing up the RV and heading home early Saturday morning and with my work schedule, I probably won't get to see them again. They hope to return for Christmas. I miss them already.

This afternoon Toad is going to be a very unwilling model for the new photo studio that just opened at the Baby Store. Toad enjoys visiting Mama's work, but this could be tricky. Keep your fingers crossed for that one.